A Tale From The Sea
by NeonCandies
Summary: Alfred is the young prince to the kingdom of Podisian. In order to prove his worth and win the hand of a princess, he must kill a deadly foe by himself. But what happens when he begins to fall in love with the creature he was supposed to kill? Will Alfred sacrifice him to please his father and his kingdom, or will he forsake them in order to protect his love? ((Mermaid AU AmePru))
1. Chapter 1

A/N: A lovely friend of mine convinced me to write this. Here I go feeding another one of my shippings. I don't really care if this becomes popular or not. I don't even care if no one likes it. I just simply wanted to write about the sea and my ships. Not much to say about this other than the fact I am liking how this is turning out. Uuuum disclaimer I don't own anything because if i did... well... None of the nations would be safe. Enjoy, those of you birdies that actually care for what I write and this shipping.~ I'm still continuing my other fanfic don't worry. ((I told myself i wouldn't work on two stories at once but look at me now.)) Also, Podisian is pronounced as Poseidon,just with the "seidon" removed and replaced with "disian". Also, if i describe a person in the story with more detail than just saying "the fish" or just literally saying they were a fish, then they're most likely fish-people. Rating may go up, I don't know yet.

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A tale above the sea is one that is frequently told. Rarely is there one telling of a story that lies beneath the rolling waves of the ocean. However, this is a story that tells one of the creatures hiding under the blue depths. This is the story of a young prince who tried to tame a white beast in order to prove himself. The story begins somewhere far out in the Pacific Ocean, somewhere mankind has yet to explore and reveal its secrets. A place some might call Atlantis, the city that sank. Though there were endless theories where the once great city disappeared, they have yet to be proven true. However, this tale explores the mysteries of the ocean and what dwells beneath its waves.

The water was warm and bubbling with life, fishes of all colours swimming throughout the ancient city and sticking close to their schools. The Mer-people, things thought to be legends, swam with them. They chattered with the aquatic animals, playful banter tossed back and forth. The city was preparing for a joyous celebration, the prince would be arriving from the western waters to ask the princess for her hand. Like all the others, if he could not please the princess's father he was to be sent away.

The people were excited for they knew this prince was bound to be different. They had heard the stories of him and his strength. How he was able to take down a shark singlehandedly. The way his tale and eyes practically held the sea and how his hair was the brightest shade of gold anyone had ever seen. The people heard of his unlimited kindness and how he sought knowledge and justice. The prince was a graceful hunter and a strong warrior, able to make his kingdom proud without any effort. It was the same prince that was simply dreading his own arrival.

"Alfred! Get your head out of the sea foam and listen to me for once." Snapped a merman, a scraggly dirty blond beard hanging on his face. The merman with dull, Gunmetal blue eyes had a frown etched onto his stoic features as he observed the young merman sitting across from him in their dolphin drawn carriage.

Alfred flicked his eyes from the scenery outside to the elder male wearing a golden crown that glistened in the sunlight filtering through the thick water.

"Yes father?" He spoke politely, however his posture gave away that he was the least bit interested.

"If you were listening, you would have heard me tell you that you needed to win the princess's hand! This will benefit the kingdom greatly and it will prevent future conflicts if our kingdoms are united." The man huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and scowling.

Alfred's eyes moved back to the passing coral beds and fish, once again getting taken up in the scenery. He mumble out a bored response, "But why do I need to do this? I don't see the point, we're strong enough on our own and we have many allies. So what this is Atlantis? Its territory is small compared to the other kingdoms."

"Don't be daft! This is Atlantis, the birthplace of all Mer-people. The knowledge they hold in their libraries are ancient and priceless! This is the best thing for our kingdom, having this under our control will be useful in the future." The king scowled at his son, annoyance visible on his face.

"So it is for an underhand motive…" Alfred muttered, bitterness rising in his chest.

Alfred was a handsome Merman. While his eyes matched the sea, so did his scales. Though in the right light, some of his scales turned a nice shade of green which added even more appeal. He had scales running up his neck and the tops of his shoulders like most Mer-people, along with fins under his arm starting at the base of his wrist and stretching all the way to his elbow. Alfred wore golden bands on his upper bicep of his right arm and a few bands around his left wrist. The young prince also had a belt of seaweed hanging around his waist, a sword made out of a swordfish nose attached to it.

"Put on a smile Alfred, we're nearly there." The king waited for Alfred to flash him a smile before nodding his approval.

Alfred's smile dropped the next second and he turned to look out the open window. He sighed, getting lost in his thoughts once more. He wasn't happy. One would usually be happy to have a royal life, but it was a life he didn't want. He was first born so he was required to inherit the throne, something he wasn't asked if he wanted to do. He was also required to marry someone of royal blood, be it male or female. The Mer-people are able to breed with the use of magic, so it is quite able for a man to give birth. Though mostly everyone got to choose their mate, Alfred did not get that pleasure.

His father intended to gain the Kingdom of Atlantis along with everything it came with. He was the type of man who wouldn't stop at anything to get what he wanted. The king would even sell his own son's freedom just to gain more power. Though he ran his kingdom well, some of his methods made Alfred sick. Alfred was one for justice and doing what was right, his father would do what was right if it benefitted him. Because of their different view on things, they often got into heated arguments that were a war of their own.

They remained silent, not uttering a word between each other until they entered the outskirts of the fairly small kingdom. Alfred instantly plastered on his false smile, one he had practiced over the years without fail. His real smile had been lost to the ocean the moment his brother ran from the kingdom. He had left to marry a traveling merchant, a Merman who had moved from the cost of France to travel the world. Their father had been against the whole thing from the start, but that did little to deter Alfred's younger brother. With his help, Alfred managed to sneak Matthew out of the kingdom and to freedom. The last light in his dark life left to make his own happiness. Not a day goes by that Alfred didn't regret his decision of getting his brother out, he was always glad that his brother could follow his own dreams.

"Wave Alfred, these are going to be your new subjects soon. It's best to make a good first impression." His father urged with a nudge of his tail.

Alfred sent him a small glare that was gone as quickly as it appeared. He leaned forward so he was seen out of the window more and he proceeded to wave at the fish and Mer-folk they passed. A few of the Mermaids squealed and waved back enthusiastically while the males gave a simple smile and a wave. The kingdom of Atlantis was more of a city than anything, as it is usually referred to amongst the Mer-people. Though on maps and when discussed of by royalty, it is always addressed as the kingdom of Atlantis.

They arrived at the palace after a few more minutes and Alfred was already regretting ever letting his father drag him here. The fish had only decided to tell him what this little "_trip_" exactly was when they were far from their own Kingdom of Podisian. Needless to say the prince had been utterly unhappy. The only thing he had left to make his life bearable, his freedom, was given away just like that. Only because his father wanted more. Just when would he have enough? Alfred doubted that he'd ever have enough, the greedy fish always wanted more.

"We welcome you, King Ligurian and Prince Alfred of Podisian." Said a sea turtle as he opened the door and bowed respectfully.

The turtle was rather tall, a mop of dark brown hair atop his head along with bright hazelnut eyes. He wore a rather nice servant's attire despite the fact he had a large shell on his back. He smiled warmly but kept his head down like all lower-class did in the presence of royalty. Alfred swam out, giving his own smile despite the fact the other wouldn't see it. Alfred moved to the side and waited for his father to leave the carriage, trying hard not to renew his anger at being forced into a marriage.

"Let's go." His father ordered, swimming ahead of Alfred and towards the front doors of the palace.

The blond rolled his eyes internally and swam after him, counting to ten repeatedly. The doors were opened for them and they were once again announced. They entered the large stone room that was designed elegantly, tapestries hung from the walls and long stone pillars connected the roof to the floor. Stationed around the large throne room were lanterns. They would be filled with glowing algae when the sun went down and didn't shine light in through the windows. At the far end were three thrones, the King in the middle while his Queen was on his right and his daughter on his left.

"Welcome King Ligurian, Prince Alfred. I trust your journey went well?" The King of Atlantis, Caspian, smiled at Alfred and his father.

The two stopped at the end of the steps leading up to the thrones and bowed slightly. "Very well, such lovely scenery in your kingdom!" Alfred's father exclaimed.

Alfred gave his own nod of agreement, holding his tongue. He quickly glanced towards the princess, giving her a charming smile. She had long wavy black hair that floated around her delicate and thin waist. A light pink and orange shell bra adorned her chest along with a necklaces that had beautiful jewels woven into it. She had bracelets on her wrists and around the joint of her lavender tail where it fanned out into a fin. She was petite and beautiful, it was no wonder so many men tried to make her their bride.

"I take it you are here to request my daughter's hand, Prince Alfred?" Caspian turned his eyes to Alfred, a small calculating smile gracing his lips.

Alfred nodded and gave a deep bow, "If you would allow such a thing."

The aging man let out a loud laugh, grinning at Alfred. "And why would I not? Alfred, prince of Podisian, he who is known for his ability to kill sharks. You would make a fine husband to my lovely Annabeth."

"You are too kind, your majesty." Alfred gave him his fake smile, one people were unable to tell was forced at all.

"I would be willing to bless the marriage if…" The King trailed off and Alfred repressed a sigh. _Here it comes,_ he thought bitterly.

"You can conquer a task I give you."

Alfred bowed once again, "Any task you give me, I will do everything I can to accomplish it."

Caspian nodded, leaning back in his chair. He began to stroke his greying beard, still nodding his head slowly. "Good… Good. Recently there have been sightings of a tiger shark somewhere north at the edge of my kingdom. I have sent 7 of my best men to bring back its head, only 1 returned. He claims it is nothing like he has ever seen. A pure white shark with pink markings on his tail, eyes a blazing red that seem as if they are the very blood flowing through our veins, and hair that is whiter than the clearest pearl. Never before have I heard of such a shark, nor have my strongest warriors ever been taken down like mackerel. They have always been able to defeat any foe they are faced with, shark or not. Yet 6 men did not make it back."

Alfred swallowed, squaring his shoulders and raising his chin slightly. "So you wish for me to bring back its head?"

"Precisely. Can you do it?"

Alfred didn't need to look at his father to know his fate was sealed. Even if he refused, his father would only force him into accomplishing this task. Though a little reluctantly, Alfred nodded. The King informed him he was to defeat the shark alone to prove his worth and so no one else could take credit for his kill. Caspian allowed Alfred three days to prepare for his journey, something Alfred wouldn't deny needing.

The first day he spent sharpening his sword, small daggers that he also strapped to his seaweed belt, and preparing his bow and arrows. The tips of his arrows were made of sharpened shells and coral, stronger and able to do more damage. Alfred then practiced relentlessly, needing to be alert and ready more than ever. He practiced till the sun had set and the moon had come out to dance in the water with those who swam below her mysterious depths.

The second day Alfred spent in Atlantis's extensive library. He read up on everything they had of tiger sharks. They were supposed to travel in packs of nine or more, so why was this one alone? Alfred grew more and more curious about the strange white shark with every fact he read. There was no documentation of a white shark ever existing, but there were old legends stating that they were said to have more magic than any fish in the ocean. Tiger sharks were easily provoked and ruthless killers. In the days of old they were known to destroy and ransack small villages and towns, utterly demolishing them till there was nothing left.

Alfred also read up on their weak points. In some of the books they mentioned that they were believed to not be very smart. When they slept was when they were at their weakest. They would be sluggish upon waking and become unable to defend themselves till they are wide awake, though that is written to take a minute or two. One of the book also says that when they are eating, they completely let their guard down, becoming more defenceless than an angler with no teeth.

The third day Alfred spent his time preparing his food and what plan of action he would take. First he would need to travel to the closest town where the sightings started occurring. Then he needed to track down the white shark and kill it. Though that was easier said than done. Alfred expected the shark to be well-built and rather powerful, seeing as how it took down six highly ranked warriors. Alfred wouldn't be able to let his guard down once he left the small village it was near. The moment he swam into open waters, he was on his own.

Alfred wanted to hear what the surviving warrior had to say about his encounter with the white shark, so he headed to the medical ward where said Merman was recovering. Alfred was led to the Merman who had a light green tail that was covered in bandages. There were bandages over his waist, his arms, and even around the top of his head. His eyes were wide and would dart back and forth, trying to locate what would make the small little swish or tap.

Alfred introduced himself, hoping the fish would pay attention long enough to give him answers.

"Can you tell me anything about the way this thing fought?" Alfred asked gently, giving the frantic fish a reassuring smile.

"I-it moved so quickly! Took down one of us when our backs were turned. It just dived in and speared him down! The others tried to follow it, but then it led them up towards the surface. It's forbidden to go up there for a reason!" The male's voice rose with every sentence. "I told them not to follow it, but they didn't listen to me! The thing led it higher and higher until it hurt for me to look up. I take my eyes off of them once and they disappear! I waited for them to come back but they just wouldn't! I waited two whole days!"

"How did you get these wounds?" Alfred gestured to the Merman's body.

"The thing came back! It came back to finish the job. I had it cornered and I was so sure I would kill it but then it darts at me and bites my arm that I hold my sword with. Its teeth shredded my skin! I moved to use my dagger but then it clawed at my chest and arm! I swear it kept biting me because it intended to eat me! I was going to be its lunch!" He was now shaking, staring at Alfred with wide, horrified eyes.

"It then hits me with its tail and I hit a rock and pass out. It must've gotten scared by something because the next thing I knew, I was being treated in the village and getting shipped back home." The man lunged forward, grabbing Alfred's shoulders. "Don't go after it! Do not try to kill this white demon, young Prince! You will surely lose your life!"

It took a while for Alfred to pry the fish's hands off of him, though Alfred thanked him for being brave enough to face it. Alfred then returned to his chambers and prepared for his long journey. Not once during his last three days in the kingdom did his father bother to wish him a "good luck" or a "be safe". No, his father had simply told him to either come back with the shark or not come back at all. He had then ignored his son's existence, instead partying with the King of Atlantis.

The next morning, almost everyone in the city had gathered to see him off. The Princess moved forward and held out a necklace with a sharp, white crystal hanging from it. She then slipped it over Alfred's neck and kissed his cheek, smiling at him.

"For luck." She murmured.

Alfred gave another of his fake smiles, "Thank you. I'll treasure it always." To be honest, he was feeling rather crummy for going out on a possible life-threatening journey just to wed a girl he just met.

Annabeth blushed lightly, swimming back to join her father's side. Alfred cast once glance at his father before he threw his brown satchel over his shoulder and turned around, swimming forward. He didn't look back once, not even as he was sure the city was far behind him. Alfred continued on until he felt his stomach rumble. He settled on a flat rock and opened the satchel that was closed with a cone-like shell. He then pulled out two oysters and cracked them open, happily eating their contents. After he finished his third oyster, he looked at his surroundings.

The city was now only a speck in the distance and he still had much more ground to cover. With a sigh and a flick of his scaly tail, he was off once more. He swam down over a cliff the evened out into a coral bed of bright reds, oranges, and yellows. A few fish were hanging around, chatting up a storm. Alfred swam closer, hoping to get directions.

"Excuse me? Can you give me directions to…" He pulled out the tan map, looking down at it quickly before up at the fish. "Aquatica village?"

A silver and blue fish gasped, swimming up to him. "You're the prince, aren't you?" It asked in a high-pitched voice.

Alfred nodded, smiling slightly. "Yep, and I really need to get to Aquatica. Do you think you can give me directions?"

"Oh yeah! So what you want to do is continue forward until you reach Asteroidea town. Then you want to take a right and keep going till you get to Blue Coral Reef. After that you keep going north and before long you should reach Aquatica." The fish used its small fin to point at the directions, making it even clearer.

Alfred grinned, "Thanks a lot!"

"Good luck young prince!" The fish all waved before swimming off on their own route.

"Bye! Thanks again!" Alfred waved after them before sighing and narrowing his eyes in determination. "Let's do this."

Alfred set off, engraving the fish's directions into his memory. Forward, right, and then north. Alfred deemed it simple enough and he picked up the pace. He thought about what the injured Merman had told him on the way the white shark attacked. It just didn't seem real. Every creature of the sea knew it was dangerous to go to the surface. Only a few could venture up there, seeing as how they've been doing it since Mer-people started swimming through the ocean.

The surface was forbidden for every half-person. That has been the rule since the first Mer-people swam through the ocean. Everyone feared the surface so just why was a shark going up there? Alfred frowned, _I know sharks like breaking rules and all, bit seriously? This is a pure white tiger shark, it hunts alone, it can take down elite warriors, and it goes to the surface? Just what is this thing? _Alfred would be lying if he said he did not feel a rush of excitement course through him at the thought of facing such a unique and mysterious foe.

Picking up the pace Alfred swam harder, trying to cut his travel time in half. The sooner he reached Aquatica, the sooner he could fight this shark. Alfred reached Asteroidea with only three breaks in-between. He took a rest at a nearby tavern, eating a meal and resupplying his food before sleeping in a rented room. He woke up early the next day, paid for his room, had a breakfast, and then set off again.

Alfred reached Blue Coral Reef around midday, the water warm and calm. Despite himself, Alfred couldn't help but look around and admire the scenery. It was breath-taking, corals of every shade were stationed everywhere. Life was brimming through all of them, fishes and other creatures laughing and playing. Alfred smiled honestly at the sight, a warm feeling pooling through his chest. Even though he wanted to stay for a while longer, Alfred needed to reach Aquatica by sundown.

He swam on, only stopping a few times for a food and rest break. When Alfred finally reached Aquatica, he was beyond tired. The young prince rented a small room at an inn and fell asleep right as he sat on the bed. Alfred had a dreamless sleep, something he was quite happy to have. The last thing he needed was a dream distracting him, be it a nightmare or not. The next morning when he woke up, he found his appetite had left him for once. He forced himself to eat at least two clams, needing his strength for today.

Alfred then swam to the local guards, intent on finding where the shark was being spotted.

"It's around the Forbidden Sands. Near the outskirts of the village perimeter. There are a few rocks and caves, but the caves don't go deep. The deeper you go, the more of an incline the land gets." The guard explained, pointing in the general direction.

Alfred nodded, "So it's sticking closer to the surface where not many Mer-people swim."

"Not even the young fins are venturing that way. They're too afraid at the prospect of a demon shark swimming around." A second guard added, though his voice contained faint traces of mirth.

"I see… Well don't worry, I will be sure to take down this '_demon_ _shark'_." Alfred said with a word of finality. He then swam past the guards and to the Forbidden Sands.

The change was noticeable. There were no decorative corals or rocks, only rockfish, crab, and the occasional clam. There were rocks scattered here and there, some rather large and towering high. Alfred spotted one or two caves, though after a quick search he came up with nothing. The caves were less frequent while the rocks stood out more. Alfred swam on for a while longer before he decided he'd better start using rocks as cover.

As Alfred began going deeper and deeper, he noticed that the abundance of fish had strangely disappeared even though a mile back there had been schools of them. Alfred frowned, diving behind a rock and listening. He faintly heard the sound of crunching, something he pegged as odd. Alfred swam behind another rock, getting closer and closer to the sound while still being able to keep cover. Alfred was now stationed behind a long rock that reached up around his waist if his bottom fin touched the seafloor. Alfred slowly peeked over, making sure to keep down low enough so he didn't give away his position. The sight before him required the blond to do a double take.

Sitting far ahead of him in an empty clearing with only one or two rocks scattered around, was the white shark. He was sitting on a flat rock in the center with his tail curled next to him. The tail was pure white, his fin's flesh almost transparent. There were faint pink stripes along his tail, almost hard to see unless the light was hitting it. He had the fins on his arms like most Fish-people did, but his were sharper looking and had a few tears along the thin flesh in-between the barbs made from the fins. His skin was a milky white, almost as pale as his tale.

The shark's hair was like his tail, colourless and pure white. It floated gently in the waters, catching the light and almost giving his body an eerie glow. He had a light orange and red shell on the right side of his head, pinning some of his hair back. His eyes were a beautiful crimson, a darker and more captivating red than any coral Alfred had ever seen. On his body were a set of tribal jewellery, most likely belonging to his shark tribe.

There was a necklace around his neck with the ribs of fish attached elegantly. The shark had a gold band snaked around his left bicep and the same thing on his right bicep. He also had two gold bands around his tail's ankle, the jewellery a nice touch against the white scales. Alfred could make out the glint of gold near his ears, indicating that the shark had piercings there.

The shark was currently eating a rockfish, his sharpened teeth ripping into the flesh easily and taking off large chunks. Alfred could see that not only were his teeth sharper than a normal fish, his claws were sharpened down too. Alfred tried not to feel sick at the way the shark ate. He consumed even the bones, crunching through them as if they were nothing. Alfred glanced around near the white shark's tail, trying to spot a weapon. He noticed a spear made from dead white coral, seaweed and shells decorating near the base of the sharpened head.

Taking a deep breath, Alfred slipped his bow off his shoulder and reached for an arrow. This would be quick and painless. Readying himself, Alfred fitted his arrow and drew it back. He steadied his breathing and moved up higher for a better view. Alfred readied himself, narrowing his eyes at the shark that had still yet to spot him. Just when he was ready to let the arrow fly, the shark stopped its movement.

Alfred almost let out a gasp when the blood red eyes were trained on him. The young prince hesitated for a split second before letting the arrow fly. The shark used that hesitation to dive out of the way, barely missing getting hit by the arrow. The half-finished fish was forgotten and instead the shark grabbed his spear, darting forward and swimming away from Alfred.

"Ah! Hey, get back here!" Alfred snapped, swimming after him.

"Yeah, head back to the person trying to kill me!" The white shark snarled at Alfred over his shoulder, a strange accent accompanying his words.

Alfred had to admit the shark was right, that would be a stupid thing to do. The young prince still gave chase, drawing another arrow and aiming at the fleeing shark. He fired and grinned when he made contact with the shark's shoulder, the arrow lodging itself deep. The male let out a scream, toppling forward and landing in the sand. Alfred swam forward at an alarming speed, readying another arrow. He shot it, though this time only grazing the shark.

The other let out another cry of pain, though he still managed to pick himself up and continue swimming. He dived behind some rocks, not moving from behind them. Alfred swam up, intending to take him from above with another arrow. But instead of surprising the injured shark, he surprised only the sand and plankton floating through the water. Alfred only got a few seconds to try and figure out where the shark had gone before a weight was slammed into his side, knocking him to the ground.

Before Alfred had time to register what was going on, the sharp end of the spear was barely grazing his Adams apple. Looking up, Alfred's eyes locked with the fiery red ones.

"Speak, why did you attack me?" The white one demanded.

"You attacked other Mer-people before me! Six of them died by your hand!" Alfred growled.

"I killed no one! They attacked me just as you did and I defended myself."

Alfred snorted, rolling his eyes. "Well the survivor told me you attacked them first, spearing one of them and _killing _him."

The other narrowed his eyes, "He survived for a reason. If I wanted him dead, I could've slit his throat while he passed out. Instead I strapped him to a dolphin's back and sent it to the nearby village."

Alfred hesitated, wondering if it was true or not. "Do you expect me to believe that?"

"I'm not asking you to believe anything. I want to know why they keep sending fish to attack me! I have done nothing to them! I am merely living on the outskirts of the town. I have not gone in nor have I attacked anyone who did not bother me. While I kept to myself, guards started coming after me trying to drive me away or kill me!" The other growled, grinding his sharpened teeth in agitation.

"I made it a point to stick near the forbidden parts, that way I wouldn't run into any Fish-people! Yet relentlessly they are sent after me! So tell me, what is your reason? Money? Fame?" He nudged the tip of his spear against Alfred's neck, reminding the prince he was in no position to deny him information.

Alfred swallowed, filing the information he was just given before speaking. "My name is Prince Alfred, I'm from the kingdom of Podisian."

"I didn't ask what your name was. Besides this isn't even Podisian waters, why would you even be here?"

Alfred tried not to roll his eyes, "If you'd wait before interrupting me, I was going to say why I'm here. The king of Atlantis gave me the task to bring back your head in order for me to prove my worth and marry the princess."

The shark looked confused, shaking his head slightly. "What so I'm like a wedding present? That's just gross and lame. Can't you just bring her flowers or something? Or a rock? Don't Mermaids like rocks or something?"

It was Alfred's turn to look confused, "What? Rocks? Where'd you get that idea?"

"I saw some Mermaids with rocks in their hair. You telling me they were weirdoes are something?" The white-haired male slowly lowered the spear, his defences dropping.

"Have you never seen rubies or something?" Alfred made sure he wasn't noticed as he began slowly reaching for the blade attached to his waist.

"Those were what they were? Huh, I thought they were rocks. Well that's to be expected I guess, I mean my tribe uses gold and bones rather than those fancy things you Mer-folk like to use." The shark snorted, easing up once again ever so slightly.

"Well that's your loss!" Alfred suddenly snapped his wrist up, his sword knocking the spear out of the other's hands.

The shark's eyes went wide and he gasped. "Oh shit!"

Alfred launched himself forward, grabbing the fish and slamming him into the ground. The other let out a pained groan and only then did Alfred notice that the white-haired male had pulled out the arrow. The young prince pressed his blade to the shark's throat, grinning.

"Looks like I win this round."

"I thought you were going to take my head." The shark grumbled out in annoyance.

"I'm going to bring you back to the castle and let the king decide what to do with you." Alfred rummaged through his bag for the cloth he'd use as a gag. He pulled it out, satisfied, before swimming over to the shark.

The shark had his arms tied behind his back with the rope trailing down and tied around Alfred's waist so he couldn't swim away.

"What's your name?" Alfred gave a small smile.

"Why should I tell you?" The shark snarled.

Alfred shrugged, "No reason. I just don't want to call you '_shark'_ or '_you'_."

The shark hesitated before frowning, "Gilbert. My name is Gilbert."

Alfred grinned at him, holding up the gag. "Alrighty then Gilbert! Please open up!"

Gilbert frowned, shaking his head. "No way. Not gonna happen. You are not going to gag me!"

"Well I don't want to risk you biting me and besides, you're kind of in no room to argue." Alfred gave an unsympathetic chuckle.

Gilbert pouted, "This is so unawesome…" He grumbled and slowly opened his mouth.

Alfred happily gagged him, patting the white hair. "See? Now that wasn't so bad!"

The shark growled at him, shooting him an annoyed glare. Alfred smiled at him and gripped the rope, giving a small tug. "Come on. When we reach the town I'll patch up your arm. I didn't really think of bringing any bandages with me."

Alfred began swimming, only to get yanked to a stop. Looking over his shoulder, Alfred scowled at the shark who was still sitting and refusing to move. "Excuse me, Gilbert? Let's move."

Gilbert turned his head with a huff, looking away from Alfred. The prince crossed his arms over his chest. "Gilbert, don't make me go back over there. You will regret it if I do, that I promise you." Alfred threatened.

Gilbert hesitated before shooting Alfred a look that literally said "_make me_". Alfred gritted his teeth, not really used to being defied by someone before, seeing as how he was a prince and all. Alfred swam over to him and grabbed the albino by the arm, yanking him up and tossing him over his shoulder. Alfred then started swimming towards the town with Gilbert stuck in a rather humiliating position.

Gilbert squirmed angrily for the first few feet before he stopped moving completely. Alfred assumed that he had given up trying to escape and had resigned to his fate. Alfred grinned smugly, he'd managed to take down the "_oh-so-dangerous_" white tiger shark. Now all he had to do was get Gilbert back to the castle and prove his worth. Alfred hesitated, his grin faltering and turning to a frown. That would mean that he'd also be made to marry the princess and he would have to revoke his freedom.

Alfred was so lost in thought that he did not expect Gilbert's tail to ram into his gut. He gasped, doubling over and dropping the male in favour of holding his stomach. Alfred looked up to see Gilbert snap his jaws and the cloth fall from his mouth. That little minx had been chewing on the cloth while he wasn't struggling! Gilbert shot forward and grabbed the rope in his mouth, biting through it with practiced ease. Alfred let out another gasp and a cry as he reached out for the male. Gilbert reeled out of reach and around Alfred, swimming as quickly as he could back the way they came.

Alfred cursed under his breath and gave chase, slowly gaining on Gilbert. The other had his arms bound so he couldn't use them to propel himself forward. If Alfred had been paying attention, he'd have noticed the water level lowering and the land slopping up. Gilbert's tail was in reach and Alfred stretched his hand out, pushing himself harder to grab it. Alfred had been so concentrated on Gilbert's tail that when the other had suddenly turned left, Alfred had slammed into the tall rock blocking his way.

Gilbert brought his tail closer to his chest and slipped his arms underneath them, bringing his bound wrists to the front of him. Alfred shook his head and growled, glaring at the red-eyed beauty. He let out a battle cry and darted for him, hands outstretched. Gilbert turned tail and continued to swim closer to the surface. He brought his hands to his mouth and bit through the ropes, freeing himself. The male then picked up the pace, swimming hard and fast till he swam straight up, launching himself through the surface of the water and onto the wet sand of an island.

Alfred screeched to a halt and let out a shuddered gasp, staring after Gilbert with wide eyes. _He left the water. That idiot left the water! He's on the surface. He's on land. Gilbert, he'll die! There's no way he can breathe out of water! _Alfred swam up slowly and unsurely, slowly breaking through the surface and expecting the worst.

"It's ok. I'll be fine. I'm not getting out of the water, I'm just…. Getting a better look." Alfred whispered as his head slipped into the fresh air. The male kept his neck under the water, fear of the unknown keeping the heroic prince in the safety of his home.

Gilbert had dragged himself onto the dry white sand, the male breathing hard. His scales glistened in the raw sunlight, his hair sticking to his face in wet clumps. He looked over his shoulder at Alfred and smirked at him. Alfred was looking at the scenery behind Gilbert with wide eyes. He had never seen dry sand before, nor had he ever seen such plants. They fascinated, yet frightened him.

"Gilbert, quick. You can't stay here, you won't be able to breath!" Alfred hissed urgently, swimming an inch closer.

"Don't be stupid! I can breathe this air just fine!" Gilbert rolled his eyes, turning so that he could sit up. The shark stretched his tail out, sighing.

"Get back in the water."

"No."

"Gilbert, get back in the water." Alfred scowled, his tone even more serious.

"No." Gilbert crossed his arms over his chest.

"Gilbert, I swear if you don't get out of the water –." Alfred had swam up so he was waist deep in the water.

"What? You'll come and get me?" Gilbert challenged with a raised brow, his smirk growing.

Alfred hesitated, slight fear flickering over his face briefly. "Y-you'll have to come back in the water sometime or you'll dry up."

Gilbert shook his head, leaning back. "No I won't."

"What are you talking about? Of course you will!"

Gilbert looked down at his dry scales, grinning widely as they were soon enveloped in a warm glow. Alfred watched in horror as Gilbert's tail split in two and was replaced by weird flesh things. Gilbert stood on said flesh things and put his hands on his hips, laughing at the look on Alfred's face. Alfred even noticed that Gilbert did not have any scales anywhere on his body, not one white scale on his new legs. The gold bands where on his right ankle, everything was wearing still on his person.

"M-magic? Is this the power of white sharks?" Alfred gasped.

Gilbert stared at him before he burst out laughing, holding his stomach. "Oh god! You're so funny! No, dummkopf! Anyone who's a Fish-person can do this!"

"Wha…?" Alfred drew his brows together, confused.

Gilbert walked along the beach and towards a section of rocks still in the dry sand. "No one knows they can do this because no one goes to the surface. I'm so awesome to have discovered this secret!" Gilbert gave a cocky laugh, stopping at the edge of the rocks and bending over, giving Alfred a good view of his ass. For some reason, the sight made Alfred blush and avert his gaze.

"It think it's even weirder than it is awesome." Alfred grumbled. He watched the red-eyed male grab a shirt and a pair of weird clothes that he stuck his skinny scale-less legs in.

"The people on the other side of the island don't like it if you walk around naked." Gilbert explained as he slipped the shirt over his head. He reached into his shirt to pull his necklace out and settle it across his chest.

"There are more?" Alfred was completely confused.

Gilbert glanced at him, "Yeah. But they don't go to this side of the beach. They call it sacred ground and shit."

"So you don't need to go back to the sea to eat…" Alfred suddenly realized that maybe the only way he would get Gilbert would require him to leave the water.

"No I do." Gilbert sat down on the sand, drawing his legs up to his chest and resting his chin on his knees.

"Huh? You do?"

"I don't like the foods they have here. While there are fruit deeper in the island, it just doesn't satisfy me like the food from the sea." Gilbert explained.

Alfred grin, fist pumping the air. "Yes! I still have a chance at capturing you!"

Gilbert raised a brow, smirking at him. "You yourself have to find food too."

"Don't be so sure." Alfred chuckled slyly.

The albino rolled his eyes, standing up and heading down the beach and towards a large outcropping of rocks. Alfred followed, a safe distance in the water.

"So is this what you did? Lured the warriors onto the sand and picked them off one by one?" Alfred wondered why it didn't occur to him that he could take down the other with his arrows.

"No, I escaped to the beach in hopes they _wouldn't _follow me. You can see how well that idea went." Gilbert rolled his eyes and sighed. "They followed me up so I ran into the jungle. I've been exploring and learning so I know how to survive in there; they didn't."

Alfred slowly nodded his head, "I see… And what about you being the one to attack first?"

"Well they sent a scout ahead and he found me sleeping on a rock. He tried attacking me in my sleep but that didn't go so well because I'm a real light sleeper. Anyways so I defended myself and dodged his attacks. His buddies swam up just as I speared him." Gilbert snorted, kicking a shell.

"So you did kill him."

"Unintentionally. He swam at me and I was backed into a corner, I didn't think he'd be stupid enough to swim right in to my spear." Gilbert shrugged, running a hand through his white locks. "The others, I didn't mean for them to die. I thought they'd leave me alone if I fled to the surface. I came here to be left alone, not to be attacked."

Alfred paused, a thought striking him. "Why are you here? Don't tiger sharks live in packs?"

Gilbert stiffened visibly and he turned a defensive glare on Alfred. "I don't need to tell that to you."

Gilbert leapt onto a rock that dropped right off into the ocean. Alfred swam up to a rock situated a good feet away from Gilbert and hauled himself onto it. He kept the end of his tail in the water as he sat stared at Gilbert. Alfred had to admit, it felt a little weird being out of the water. Though he was internally freaking out in both excitement and undeniable fear, he kept a straight face. There was no way Alfred could let the other know how much this was effecting him.

"Come back into the water." Alfred tried again.

"No."

"Well you're not leaving my sight till you do!" Alfred crossed his arms over his chest and gave a stubborn pout.

Gilbert smirked, sitting down and leaning back. "Oh? Well, have fun starving!"

Alfred kept a straight face as he grabbed his satchel and set it in front of him. He then opened it and pulled out an oyster, smirking as he watched Gilbert's smile turn into a frown.

"Who was it that was gonna starve?" Alfred asked.

Gilbert's cheeks turned a dark red that Alfred could see clearly against his pale skin. He had to admit, he looked king of… cute… Alfred shook his head, chasing those thoughts away. He would not see a shark as cute! They were violent killers with a liking for other fish's agony. This abnormal shark was not to be trusted. He was suspicious and weird. Alfred did not have the luxury of allowing him to escape. Alfred's entire life depended on if he could get Gilbert back to the palace or not.

"So tell me about the surface and what you know. If I end up having to go on it, I want to know as much as I can." Alfred said as he cracked open his meal.

So Gilbert told Alfred everything he knew, which was weird. Wouldn't the other want his captor to know little about the surface? It would serve to his advantage, wouldn't it? Alfred didn't question it, he was too captivated by the new information he was being given. Alfred was in awe, there had been a world his kind knew nothing about! Yet apparently the people on the surface wove tales about the creatures living in the sea. Gilbert explained that there were many legends all around the world, though each were different.

As the sun started to set, Gilbert had moved back to the rock where he hid clothes and pulled out another pair of pants. "Come here!"

"What?!" Alfred jumped slightly. He had followed the other from the water, still staying waist deep in it.

"Get out on land and dry off. I need to show you something! Hurry up! The sun is setting and you've never seen the sky at night." Gilbert shook the pants for emphasis.

Alfred shook his head, "I don't think I want to see."

"I will drag you out of the water if I have to!"

"But then you'll change back too and then I could capture you again!"

"I'll risk it!" Gilbert snapped. He sighed, frowning. "Come on, seriously. I promise you that you'll love it. When I first saw it, I was blown away. The sight is awesome."

Alfred frowned, "Well…. I can get back in the water right after, correct?"

Gilbert rolled his eyes and tried not to groan. "Yes, you can. Now hurry up!"

Alfred hesitated a few more seconds before he set his things down on a nearby rock and moved towards the beach. When he felt the water lowering around him and the sand rubbing against the bottom of his scales, his heart was beating faster than ever. He stayed in the shallows, the waves lazily splashing against him. Gilbert motioned for him to come in further, but Alfred shook his head. Gilbert crossed his arms over his chest and raised a brow, looking annoyed. Alfred pouted and grumbled under his breath, dragging himself out onto the dry sand. He jumped at how warm it felt, surprised something this dry could be so soft.

"Now when you dry, put these on ok? After that prepare for an awesome show!" Gilbert grinned triumphantly.

Alfred huffed and looked out onto the sea, once again captivated by the way the sun danced along the waves and changed their colours. "It's so weird… Why do you think we were forbidden from ever going to the surface?"

"That's obvious." Alfred jumped when Gilbert sat a few feet away from him.

"How?" Alfred asked, hoping he'd elaborate.

"Humans like to fish. They fear what they don't know and their first option is to kill it. Our species is forbidden from going to the surface because of that reason. Humans would capture us and dissect us, see how we work and how different we are. Fish-people are safer under the water than above it." Gilbert drew his legs up to his chest, sighing.

Alfred frowned, looking down at his scales then at Gilbert's legs. "Are we that different?"

Gilbert snorted, turning his head to look at him. "Of course we are. Just like how Shark-people are different from Mer-people. Your race is the highest and most valued, Shark-people are dubbed violent and evil just for being sharks. No one cares if a shark is nice, people just assume they have a secret motive for being kind. Humans think the same way too. They think anything different from them is evil and not to be trusted."

Alfred hummed, pouting slightly. "That's not very fair."

Gilbert chuckled, looking up at the blackening sky. "That's how the world is."

Alfred opened his mouth to say something but he was distracted by the soft glow coming from his scales. The feeling was interesting, one minute he was manoeuvring one limp and then he was suddenly in control of two. When the glow faded, Alfred had his own set of scale-less legs. He ran his hands up and down his new limbs, completely fascinated.

"This is so cool." He breathed.

"Yeah. H-here, put these on and try to stand. I'll help you learn how to walk." Gilbert mumbled.

Alfred glanced up at him, noticing the other was looking away with his cheeks dyed a dark shade of red. Alfred looked down at his body, wondering what was so embarrassing. It was then he realized how exposed he was. The part of his body that was usually hidden by scales and only made appearances when he was "mating", hung out in the open for all to see. Alfred blushed, grabbing the pants and covering himself up with them.

"How can humans not feel so exposed, not having scales covering it up!?" Alfred struggled to figure out how to put the pants on without Gilbert's directing.

"They manage somehow. Actually, their clothes act as a cover up just like out scales do. So they aren't fully letting it hang out there." Gilbert clarified, glancing at Alfred as he managed to yank the trousers up.

"They're weird." Alfred grumbled, fiddling with buttoning the pants up.

Gilbert snorted, holding out his hand. "Alright come on, up you go. Time to teach the land baby how to walk."

Alfred pouted, grabbing his hand. "I'm not a baby."

"To me you are. This is my turf. I'm the wise adult here who knows all there is to know, while you're the whiny brat the world decided to shit on my doorstep." Gilbert snickered, yanking Alfred up on his unsteady legs.

Alfred wobbled forward and flumped against Gilbert, making the both of them topple over. Gilbert let out a string of curses, shoving Alfred off of him. He muttered something in that strange language of his, something Alfred learned a while ago to be German. Apparently Gilbert's tribe had been a band of German speakers, a language human's use. How they learned it, Alfred didn't know and he was too lazy to pry.

"Let's try this again." Gilbert sighed, pulling himself up out of the sand and offering his hand to Alfred once more.

"Sorry…" Alfred mumbled, taking Gilbert's hand and letting himself get pulled up to stand.

Alfred wobbled a bit, but was held steady thanks to Gilbert's hands on his chest and shoulders. Once Alfred seemed stable, Gilbert slowly removed his hands and scowled, glaring up at Alfred. He crossed his arms over his chest and let out an annoyed huff.

"What?" Alfred tilted his head, confused at the bitter mood the other suddenly fell in.

"Even out of the water you're taller than me? What the hell…" He sighed and took the other's hands in his own. "Whatever, it'd be unawesome of me to get bothered over something so simple. Come on, let's get you walking."

Alfred jumped slightly when the other took his hands, suddenly getting a bit flustered. With a nod, Gilbert took a step back while Alfred took an unsteady step forward. It was weird, but Alfred didn't exactly dislike the feeling of walking around. Soon Gilbert wasn't taking one step then pausing, he was actually walking backwards along the beach with Alfred following after him, their hands still connected.

"Good job." Gilbert grinned at him. Alfred was so focused on the man before him that he didn't even notice the world darken around him and the sky light up.

Gilbert stopped walking, smiling warmly at Alfred. He cast his eyes up and his smile grew even wider. "Here, this is what I wanted you to see."

Alfred curiously looked at Gilbert before he himself looked up. He let out a gasp and his eyes widened considerably. Dotting the sky in swarms were beautiful white lights, making the entire sky glow in an unearthly light. Alfred's mouth hung open in awe as he watched the stars twinkle in the sky, some stars shooting across the darkness before disappearing. Gilbert chuckled at Alfred's childish wonder, studying the male's features while he was distracted. Gilbert had to admit, Alfred was breath-taking. The way the stars lit up his face and made his eyes shine with their own light

Alfred was interesting, Gilbert decided. He was a prince, yet he wasn't snotty or rude. Though he was annoying and oddly persistent, the boy meant well. Though he didn't mean well for Gilbert. He was an enemy, he was here for Gilbert's head. But the albino didn't feel the need to be on guard with Alfred. He was strong and if he had wanted, he could've killed Gilbert back in the water. Instead he had tied him up and was going to let him live. Alfred was a strange Merman, Gilbert just couldn't predict his movements.

They stood staring up at the stars for a while longer before Gilbert let go of Alfred's hands and went back to his hidden pile of goods. He took out a box of matches and got some trees from the jungle stationed further away from the beach. He then started a small bonfire, keeping Alfred's wondering hands from the flames he had suddenly become so absorbed in.

"Nooo you don't. This if fire, it hurts just as bad as a puffer fish sting." Gilbert warned, forcing Alfred's hand back down.

"It's so pretty but so deadly…" Alfred whistled his appreciation.

Gilbert snorted, poking the fire with a long stick. "Just keep your fins out unless you want to be a cooked fish."

Alfred help up his hands to show he meant no harm. He watched Gilbert for a while before recalling that he shot the shark in the shoulder with an arrow.

"Hay… H-how's your arm?" Alfred asked hesitantly, wondering if the other would be annoyed he asked.

Gilbert glanced up at him before looking at his shoulder. "Ah, it's better now. Thanks for asking. I think it's all healed."

Alfred's brows drew together in confusion. "Healed? How can it be healed so quickly?"

"I've always been a fast healer." Gilbert rolled his shoulder and stretched.

Alfred nodded his head slowly, _Must be the power of a white shark. _"So Gilbert…?"

"Hm?" Gilbert turned his red eyes to Alfred and off the fire.

Alfred paused for a moment, watching the way the flame's light danced across Gilbert's face and his eyes, adding a more alluring beauty to the male.

Alfred shook his head and cleared his throat, giving a small grin. "Will you get back in the water now?"

Gilbert scowled and flipped him off, lying down with his back to Alfred. "Fuck you."

Alfred laughed and settled on the soft sand, glancing at Gilbert once more before he turned with his back to the fire and the albino. Alfred thought over the events of today, still managing to be blown away by everything he'd learned. Alfred blinked, glancing around. He had noticed it when he first got out of the water, but it was more evident now that he thought about it. When he looked at things that were far away, they'd appear blurry and slightly distorted. He never had this problem in the water, he wondered if it was a land thing. Alfred shrugged, trying to get comfortable before he let the exhaustion of his day finally catch up with him. Alfred quickly fell asleep dreaming of the surface and the captivating starry sky.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Oh gosh an update! Finally! I've been doing a lot of other things and I haven't had time to sit down and write! Ok so for a little information, Full-Fins are actual fish. Like a normal shark and such. Nothing magical half-human about them. If I don't state they're half human, they're most likely a normal animal. Ok! And I really don't have anything to say for this nor do I have anything to say about my lack of updating. School starts tomorrow too! Ah ha... ha... -sobs- Well here's this chapter! Sorry it took so long! Hope it was worth it ;-;

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Gilbert rose from the water and rested his forearms on a small rock in front of him. He stared out onto the sandy beach where the remnants of a fire was, along with the sleeping form of the Mer-prince. The albino had slipped into the water while Alfred slept. He hadn't eaten dinner and he was surely going to eat breakfast. While the blue-eyed man slept, Gilbert slipped off into the water. He had caught two rockfishes, eating one out at sea and only now did he start to eat the other.

He took a bite of the tender flesh, crunching through the scales and bones as if they were nothing. The scales were a nutrient to sharks, same with the raw meat and bones. He watched Alfred, chewing the chunk of flesh in his mouth. Gilbert was curious, wondering exactly why this man had yet to kill him. The albino had given him so many chances. Truth be told, he didn't let his guard down all those times for nothing. He was testing Alfred, trying to see if the other would kill if given the chance.

"I don't understand you…" The albino mumbled, taking another bite.

He noticed the blood dribbling out of the fish and down his mouth, onto the rock. The waves surround him were calm and barely lifted an inch into the air. Gilbert loved the way the waves lapped against him, creating a soothing rhythm. The albino hummed an old song his father used to sing when he was a child. Gilbert finished off the fish, whipping his mouth and washing his face with the sea water. He let himself relax, completely at peace with the sound of the ocean.

That peace was short-lived however, when Alfred decided to start waking up.

"Shit." Gilbert quickly slid from the rock and swam towards the shore.

He dragged himself onto the sand just as Alfred sat up and looked at him. Alfred drew his brows together, confused. After a few seconds of looking at Gilbert, he finally noticed the other had just come out of the water. Gilbert was lying on his stomach, the waves reaching up to his waist. His tail was bent and hanging a little over his body. He held his chin with his palms, his elbows resting in the semi-wet sand.

"Morning cuttlefish, sleep well?" Gilbert gave a small smile.

Alfred quickly stood up, pointing an accusing finger at Gilbert. "You're in the water!"

"Nein, I'm halfway in the water. There's a difference." Gilbert jumped slightly when Alfred began franticly unbuttoning his pants.

He recoiled, sitting up and waving his hands frantically. "Hey, hold on a second! I'm getting out of the water so stop stripping!"

"Not this time! You already transformed, I'm not letting this chance pass!" Alfred declared with determination.

Gilbert shook his head, dragging himself frantically across the beach and away from Alfred. "No way am I dealing with this shit."

"Hey, wait up!" Alfred yanked off his pants and charge after Gilbert, easily mastering running in a matter of seconds.

"No way, fuck you!" Gilbert yelled over his shoulder.

Alfred launched at Gilbert, splashing in the shallow water and grabbing the other's tail. As he transformed back into a Merman, he kept a hold of Gilbert, refusing to loosen his grip. The other wriggled angrily, smacking Alfred in the face with his fin before sliding farther into the water and going deeper. His white hair disappeared beneath the waves, his tail the last thing to be seen before the water swallowed it up. Alfred scrambled after him, diving under the small waves.

Gilbert swam deeper, a grin pulling at his mouth. Alfred gave chase, swimming after him with a playful look gracing his features. Instead of being serious, he was giving in to Gilbert's game. The albino looked over his shoulder at Alfred and grinned, facing forward with a thrill of excitement pumping through his veins. He weaved around the scattering of tall rocks, swimming under low hanging gaps. He let out a laugh as he swam over a small hill, turning sharply.

Gilbert could hear Alfred laughing over the blood pounding in his ears. Though when he suddenly stopped hearing the giggles, he grew oddly suspicious. Glancing over his shoulder, he couldn't catch sight of Alfred. He slowed down slightly, drawing his brows together. He pulled to a stop and glanced around with a frown. They were in a deeper part of the ocean, only going down by about 12 feet. Gilbert squinted, trying to spot the familiar blond hair in the wide expansion of blue.

"An opening!" Came a cry from behind Gilbert.

The albino turned around just in time to be tackled by Alfred. The two laughed merrily, rolling with the waves, their hands clasped tightly together. They wrestled one another, both trying to prove dominance in strength. Though Alfred won, Gilbert managed to put up a rather good fight. They settled on the ocean floor, the clear white sand acting as a nice cushion as they regained their breath. Alfred was lying on his back while Gilbert remained sitting, staring out into the distance.

"I… Won…" Alfred gasped out for the third time, grinning from ear to ear. He hadn't laughed this hard in a long while, nor had he smiled so honestly.

Gilbert waved a hand in dismissal. "Yeah yeah, I heard you the first time."

Alfred looked over and grinned at him, "What's my prize?"

Gilbert raised a brow in question. "Who said there was a prize?"

"Well I could just take you back to the kingdom right now, but…" Alfred trailed off, acting as if he was thinking hard. "I'm feeling mighty generous."

Gilbert snorted, giving him a small shove. "Liar." With a sigh he got up from the sand, swimming towards the shore. "Fine, I'll take you someplace neat. That can be your prize."

Alfred continued to grin as he followed Gilbert to shore, both of them pulling themselves out of the water and onto the sand. Once they were dry and clothed, Gilbert began walking along the beach, heading closer inland. Alfred followed, glancing around at every new thing he saw and pointing it out. As they walked, Gilbert explained the animals they passed and where they were going.

"I'm taking you into a human town. I don't want you being a weirdo though. Stay close to me and don't talk to anyone unless I say its fine to talk." Gilbert demanded when he indicated that they were getting closer to the human town.

"I'm not a young fin, I don't need you telling me what to do." Alfred puffed his cheeks out, pouting.

Gilbert stopped, putting his hands on his hips and glaring at Alfred. "Now listen here brat, I know far more about the surface than you. I'm in charge here. And don't you think about pulling that princely shit with me, I don't give two damns about you being royalty. There's no way I'm taking any orders from you."

Alfred's jaw dropped and he stared at Gilbert with wide eyes. Never before had he been talked to like that. Gilbert had not only insulted him, but he had talked down to him. Mentally smacking himself, Alfred prepared to bite back a rude comment but Gilbert continued on without his consent.

"Now that we've come to that understanding, can we continue? Don't keep my awesomeness waiting." He sneered at Alfred over his shoulder.

Alfred blushed slightly and stomped towards him, smacking him in the back of the head. "You suck."

Gilbert rubbed his wounded part, glaring at Alfred while muttering angry German curses under his breath. They continued on towards the town, playful shoving and banter passing between them. Alfred's eyes went wide as he looked at the houses and boats coming into view. He grabbed Gilbert's hand, gasping at the sight of people and cars. Alfred shook his hand eagerly, bouncing with childish enthusiasm. Gilbert watched the taller male with mild amusement, trying hard not to pull his hand away at the familiar contact.

Despite the strange stares they got while Alfred squealed over every new thing, Gilbert was having fun. To be honest, Gilbert thought it was kind of cute. Alfred was tugging him around the town like a kid in a candy store. Gilbert suddenly caught sight of someone he knew, someone who also knew who he was. Gilbert pulled Alfred to a stop, calling out to the other man.

"Hey Tristen!" The albino waved at the store owner opening his book shop.

The male jumped and let out an annoyed groan, turning to glare at the offending red-eyed male. "Oh god, what do you want?"

"Don't be like that. You know you're happy to see my awesomeness." Gilbert grinned.

Tristen raised a brow at him and his companion. "Nice to see you too. Who's your friend?"

Gilbert pointed to Tristen and looked at Alfred, grinning. "This is my dear old friend Tristen. He helped me out of a fishing net when I first came here. Was a painful business, I got all cut up from it. Even a few scars."

Alfred's eyes widened and he looked down at Gilbert. "He knows?"

The male looked surprised at that, "Gilbert? He's…"

Gilbert let go of Alfred's hand and pushed Tristen out of the way, going into the shop. "I will answer all questions on the inside!"

Alfred followed after Gilbert, suddenly pissed at the albino for telling the secret. When Tristen scurried to close the door behind them, Alfred chose then to yell at the other.

"How could you let someone else figure it out!? I thought you told me it was a secret we can't let out!" Alfred snapped angrily.

"Don't yell at me! I was caught in a freaking net what did you want me to do? Bleed out? If he hadn't come along, I would be dead!" Gilbert leaned against a book shelf, crossing his arms over his chest.

Alfred hesitated, frowning. "So he knows you're a shark?"

Tristen moved from the entrance, his eyes dancing with a bright light. "So you're like Gilbert? You're a Merman?"

"I'm a Merman, he's a Shark-person. There's a difference." Alfred gave Tristen a suspicious look, not trusting the other.

Gilbert moved from the shelf and over to the two of them, rolling his eyes. "Ok enough being all pissy, it's so unawesome. Alfred, this is Tristen. Tristen, this is Prince Alfred of the kingdom Podisian." Gilbert said overdramatically, bowing to add more effect.

Alfred scowled at him, clearly not pleased with Gilbert's sarcasm. The shop owner grew flustered, not at all realizing he was in the presence of royalty.

He gave a bow, "I-I'm terribly sorry! I didn't realise you were royalty!"

Alfred grimaced slightly, finding this a little awkward even though Gilbert was laughing like a mad man. "U-um there's no need to bow…"

Tristen stood up straight, smiling slightly at Alfred before glaring at Gilbert. He flicked him in the forehead, walking towards the window so he could put the open sign up. "And what about you? I haven't seen you in two weeks, just where exactly have you been?"

Gilbert whined, moving to the counter and hopping on it, rubbing his forehead. "I was preoccupied. They're sending guards to gut me like a fish. Alfred here is one of those chosen to kill me."

Alfred looked between Gilbert and Tristen, suddenly getting a little annoyed at how friendly they were. For some reason, it bothered him. Tristen looked at him over his shoulder, the human a little shocked.

"W-what? Not to be rude but isn't that crazy of you to be hanging around someone who's supposed to kill you?" Tristen frowned and moved towards the counter, going behind it.

Alfred trailed over to the counter, nudging Gilbert with his arm. "I'm currently not hunting him." Alfred grumbled out, his mood suddenly sour.

Tristen gave Gilbert a small shove, sighing. "Come on. Off my counter."

Tristen was a few inches taller than Gilbert with dark brown hair. His hair was short, barely reaching his ears. Tristen had dark blue eyes along with freckles dotting his tanned skin. He wore a loose, dark green t-shirt and a pair of cargo shorts. While he was tall, he looked to be no older than 18.

Gilbert leaned back, poking Tristen in the side. "Hey, what time is your father coming home?"

Tristen sighed, rolling his eyes. "He'll be home at usual, around 8. Do you plan on staying here all night like last time?"

Gilbert shook his head, hopping off the counter. "Nah. I'm not in the mood to play human. Also, I don't think Alfred needs to learn how to eat like a human right now." The albino snickered, moving over to Alfred and taking his hand.

"Well we're leaving now! See you later! Stop by the cursed shores sometime, it'll be fun!" Gilbert called over his shoulder, tugging Alfred out of the shop.

Alfred was still sulking, for some reason he didn't quite like that guy. Gilbert stopped, pointing at a sign a few ways off. "Let's go there next."

"What is it?" Alfred squinted, trying to make out the blurry words. Gilbert glanced at him, a brow raised.

"You're kidding right?"

"No. I can't read the sign, it's too blurry." Alfred wondered how Gilbert could read it, was it because he was used to the surface?

Said albino groaned, shaking his head. "You've got fucked up eyes. Wonderful." Gilbert pulled Alfred towards a different shop, going in.

Alfred glanced around, wondering what the weird things holding glass were. There were a lot of them in different colours and designs. Some of the other people in the store were wearing them on their faces. Alfred wondered if it was a fashion thing on the surface. Same with how it was considered cool to have shark teeth as a necklace.

"Excuse me, sir? This guy here has fucked up eyesight and can't see anything from far away. He's never had his eyes checked out before because he lives in one of those rinky-dink villages." Gilbert gestured to Alfred as they stopped in front of the counter.

The man looked up at Gilbert, his eyes lingering slightly on the albino before he turned to look at Alfred. He smiled, moving from behind the counter. "Well we can prescribe him a pair of glasses right away! Please, right this way sir."

Gilbert leaned against the counter as Alfred was led away to have an eye exam. When the young prince had returned, he was wearing a brand new pair of gold rimmed glasses. He was fidgeting slightly, a light pink tint on his cheeks. He stopped in front of Gilbert, a slight pout on his lips.

"Well? How do I look?" Alfred mumbled, feeling completely awkward at wearing the strange contraption.

Gilbert raised a brow, smirking. "Not bad. Still nowhere near as attractive as me, but you come close."

Alfred scowled at him, opening his mouth to retort but was interrupted by the man who helped Alfred find a pair of glasses. "How will you be paying? Cash or credit?"

Gilbert stuffed a hand in his pocket, pulling out a crisp 100 dollar bill that had some sand sticking to it. "Cash."

After paying for the glasses, a box, and cleaning supplies, Alfred was taught how to take care of his glasses. They then left the shop, heading towards the restaurant Gilbert had pointed out. Alfred was awed by the fact he could see things clearer than ever.

"Wow. I thought it was just the surface that made faraway things blurry." Alfred whistled his amazement. "How come you don't need them?"

Gilbert scrunched up his nose, "Oh I need them alright."

"You do?"

He nodded, "Yeah. I'm an albino so I have really crappy eyesight. But my hearing makes up for it, so that's alright I guess."

Alfred's brows drew together in confusion. "So why don't you wear them?"

"I look stupid with them on. It's uncool of me to wear glasses." Gilbert huffed, stopping outside of the restaurant.

"I'd like to see you in them, I think you'd look good with them." Alfred smiled innocently at Gilbert.

Alfred's eyes widened slightly at how visible the red appeared on Gilbert's cheeks. Gilbert stuttered for a response, his cheeks almost as red as his eyes. The flustered shark decided to ignore that statement, instead shoving his way into the restaurant and strolling up to the podium.

"Table for two." He grumbled.

The waitress glanced between Gilbert and the snickering blond, her eyes lingering on the rather captivating male. "U-um… Right this way…" She said in a daze.

Gilbert and Alfred were led to a booth in a corner of the restaurant. There weren't many people in there, seeing as how it was barely even evening. Gilbert slid in and leaned back in his chair, propping his feet up on the plush red cushions. Alfred sat across from him, his back straight and an air of royalty about him. He tried not to express his distaste for the slobish way his companion was sitting. The waitress set down two menus, hesitating for a split second before flashing Alfred a bright smile and going back to her station.

Gilbert opened the menu, humming to himself. "I think I'll settle for the lobster. I'm in the mood to crunch on something."

Alfred reached for his menu, opening it up and looking at the wide selection of food. "How can you pay for this? Don't they have different currency?" Alfred questioned.

"You'd be surprised how much a single gold bracelet goes for on the surface. What we consider abundant, they call rare. We stumble upon a sunken ship filled to the brim with gold coins and they're just considered trinkets. Yet on the surface they're quite expensive. I sell the little jewellery I don't need. I have a wide selection of useless trinkets. Traveling around a whole lot allowed me to find such crap." Gilbert grumbled, setting the menu down.

"So you and your family travel around a lot?" Alfred set his menu down, deciding to go for the shrimp and salmon combo.

Gilbert hesitated, staring at Alfred suspiciously. "No."

"Then why do you travel around?" Alfred was curious as to why Gilbert was traveling alone. Tiger sharks were known to travel in packs. Even if it wasn't with Shark-people of their own kind, they at least had one full-fin with them.

Gilbert sighed, glancing up at the roof. "My father was leader of our pack. He fell in love with a Mer-person, which is forbidden for my kind. So he was kicked out, leaving me and my brother in the tribe since he refused to let us go with him. Someone else took his spot as leader and ruled in his place. In my pack, I was always picked on by the other sharks for being different. My father always protected me, but since he was no longer in the tribe, he couldn't help me. I was deemed as a curse and banished. I left my brother, my home, and my life behind."

Alfred's eyes were slightly wide, his mouth partially opened. He hadn't expected Gilbert to tell him his past, not this easy anyways. Now that he had this information, he was beginning to see Gilbert in a new light. The albino was chased away from his home just for being different? Alfred assumed that it wasn't a simple, "_go away we don't like you_" kind of kicking out. Knowing the stories of sharks and such, he assumed there was more violence in it that Gilbert wasn't telling.

"I'm… Sorry. I shouldn't have brought that up. The memory must've been painful." Alfred frowned slightly.

Gilbert snorted, sitting up straight and smirking at him. "Don't worry about it. I'm so over it. It's their fault for kicking out someone so awesome." He smirked.

Alfred couldn't shake the feeling that Gilbert was lying. The look in the albino's eyes said as much. He was clearly not telling the truth for a reason. Before Alfred could pester Gilbert for more answers, their waitress decided then to appear. She was a cute girl with light blond hair tied into pigtails. On her black, uniformed apron were adorable animal buttons that complimented her sweet smile.

"Hi! My name is Becky and I'll be your waitress this…" She paused, glancing around with a sheepish smile. "Fine mid-evening. Anyways, let's start out with drinks." She giggled and pulled out a notepad and a pen.

Gilbert leaned back and nodded, "I'll take a glass of water." He paused before smirking at Alfred. "And he'll take some Coca-Cola."

The girl nodded and marked it down. "I'll have your drinks right away. In the meantime are you ready to order?"

"I'll have the Shrimp and Salmon combo." Alfred had experience in ordering food, seeing as how he was a prince. This didn't come as awkward or strange to him. Though the drink Gilbert ordered for him did. Just what was a Coca-Cola?

"Lobster." Gilbert handed her his menu, turning his attention off of her and towards the condiments at the table.

She left just as Gilbert started playing with the salt shaker. Alfred watched him curiously for a while before he reached over and stilled Gilbert's hand. Gilbert looked up at him, a brow raised in question. Alfred took the salt shaker out of his hand and set it back down on the table.

"What's the drink you ordered for me?" Alfred decided to go with this question, it seemed safer.

"It's a good drink. You'll like it, I'm positive of it." The other withdrew his hands and took up to sitting in the slobbish way he had when they first arrived.

They waited only a while for their drinks. After thanking the girl and her leaving them alone, Gilbert sat up straight and sighed. He took the salt shaker and shook a generous amount of salt into the water, mixing it around. He then took his straw and sipped, nodding his head before he leaned back and sighed. He rubbed his throat, grumbling about something in German. Alfred sniffed his drink, taking his straw before hesitating. He glanced up at Gilbert who flicked his wrist, indicating for Alfred to get on with it.

The moment Alfred took a sip of his drink, he ascended into Mer-heaven. From the look Gilbert was giving him, Alfred assumed his liking for the drink showed on his face. Gilbert snickered, leaning forward to sneer at Alfred.

"So I take it you like the drink?"

Alfred blushed lightly, looking anywhere but at the fiery red-eyed devil in front of him. "It's… Nice."

Gilbert snorted, "Whatever. Anyways, you'd better eat all of your food."

"Don't underestimate me. It's bad manners to not eat your entire meal." Alfred smirked.

A sly grin crossed Gilbert's face, "Is that so? Does that mean you'll eat everything? Even the bones?"

Alfred hesitated at that. Puckering up his lips slightly, the young prince hummed. "Hadn't thought of that…"

As if on cue, their waitress returned with their meal. When they were alone once more, Gilbert broke off a lobster claw and smirked. "Sharks eat everything."

To demonstrate, he bit into the shell and easily broke through. Only then did Alfred notice that Gilbert's teeth were still their sharp, serrated selves. The albino crunched through the shell and tender flesh, humming in delight. Alfred watched him in interest, curious as to how the shell tasted. Gilbert paused when he noticed he was still being watched. Locking eyes with Alfred, he closed his mouth and stopped moving the piece of claw towards his lips.

"What?"

Alfred blinked and shrugged sheepishly. "Nothing. Sorry. I was just wondering how the shell tasted."

Gilbert raised a brow and let out a slight chuckle. "It tastes better when it's in the sea."

Alfred nodded slowly, "Do sharks always eat the shell?"

The shark set his piece down and gave Alfred a thoughtful look. "Yeah. It has all the nutrients and things my kind need to survive. It helps our bones grow stronger, helps our reflexes, and some other crap. Plus it sharpens our teeth and such."

Alfred scrunched up his nose at the thought of being bit by Gilbert. "Do your teeth hurt?"

"Eh? Well no. Not unless I mean for it to."

"No I mean… like when sharks mate. Don't they kiss? Wouldn't the teeth hurt?" Alfred blushed lightly, wondering why he wanted to know such things.

His companion burst out laughing, holding his stomach as he arched over the table. They drew a couple of strange looks from the few patrons in the restaurant, but they all returned to doing whatever it was they were doing before the interruption. Gilbert took in a deep breath and whipped his eyes. The shark sighed and grinned at Alfred.

"Nope, it doesn't hurt one bit." He said, a small snicker following.

Alfred blinked in surprise, "Really?"

"Do you doubt me?" Gilbert whipped his hands on a napkin, keeping eye contact with Alfred.

"Well…" Alfred glanced off to the side. "Your teeth don't do much convincing."

Gilbert more or less slapped the napkin down on the table. He stood up and moved around the table, grabbing Alfred by the collar and dragging him towards the bathroom.

"Come here." Was all he said before dragging the other into the empty room.

"Woah hey wait a second what're you d–?" Alfred was cut off as Gilbert reached up and forced his head down.

Their lips smashed together and Alfred was left standing there, stunned. For a few seconds he just let Gilbert kiss him. His brain suddenly kick-started once Gilbert's tongue brushed against his bottom lip. His mouth opened and the slender, pink tongue slipped past. The shark coaxed Alfred's tongue into moving with his. When Gilbert drew his tongue back into his own mouth, Alfred's tongue followed. He felt the brush of Gilbert's teeth against his sensitive flesh, but it wasn't a painful prick. To be honest, the feeling of them brushing against his tongue sent a pleasant shiver down Alfred's spine.

They parted a few seconds after, both panting for air. Gilbert let go of Alfred and took a step back, whipping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"T-there…" He panted. "See? It doesn't hurt."

Alfred found himself missing the taste of Gilbert's mouth. It had been a little salty and tasted like lobster, but there was also a rather sweet taste to it. He nodded in a dazed trance, not fully registering the fact that Gilbert had made out with him in a public place.

Gilbert moved past Alfred and out of the bathroom, saying something about getting back to their food. Alfred followed, a light pink dusting his cheeks. Gilbert was very glad Alfred was behind him, that way he wasn't able to see the blood flood Gilbert's face and stain his cheeks red. His cheeks were almost dark enough to match the lobster he was eating. The albino took a quick breath, forcing himself to calm down. He put on a straight face and willed his red cheeks to disappear.

After they ate and Gilbert paid, the two of them decided to go back towards the forbidden part of the beach. Gilbert had the sudden urge to be in the water, saying he spent too long on the surface and he'd like to be back underneath the rolling waves. Alfred didn't see any problem in that, but he was suddenly curious as to what they'd do if they ran into other Mer-folk.

"I'm just saying, there's a chance that we could get spotted." Alfred shrugged, holding Gilbert's hand happily. After a fit of protesting from the other, saying things like it was too mushy or that he didn't want to hold hands, the white haired male gave up when Alfred stubbornly refused to let go.

"Then I have an idea!" Gilbert grinned.

"Oh? Do explain." Alfred chuckled.

"We can go to one of the smaller, uninhabited islands located a few miles away from the forbidden side. It's out of Mer-people territory and closer to shark hunting grounds. There's no way they'd find us." Gilbert declared proudly.

"But won't we get found by sharks?" Alfred didn't see how that was any better.

The albino shook his head, "No way. Sharks don't pass through these waters unless it's mating season or they're migrating. Besides, even if we were seen by other sharks, it's not like it'd matter. They don't care about other sharks unless they're pack members. Since I'm a pack-less shark, I don't pose as a threat and therefore I'm not of importance. The fact that I'm with a Merman makes no difference."

Alfred's brows drew together and he let out a small hum. "Interesting. Sharks really do get straight to the point, don't they?"

Gilbert shrugged, glancing down at his feet. "Eh, most of the time. Sharks are just like that. They don't overcomplicate things like the Mer-people tend to do… no offence."

The prince laughed, shaking his head. "None taken. Sometimes I wish that we didn't have to overcomplicate every little detail."

Gilbert hummed, letting go of Alfred's hand as they made it to the forbidden beach. He wasted no time in stripping off his shirt, folding it and tucking it in his small hidden cave. He avoided eye contact with Alfred as they both stripped of their pants. Gilbert wasted no time in getting in the water, diving under the moment he felt his legs start to change. Alfred put his glasses in their case and tucked them in the little cave. He then followed after Gilbert at a slower pace, finding no reason to rush.

Once they were both under the waves, Gilbert floated on his back for a few silent seconds. Alfred watched him quietly, waiting for the albino to finish whatever it was he was doing. Gilbert glanced at him and smirked, snickering slightly.

"What?" Alfred drew closer, swimming so that his front half was leaning over Gilbert.

"The humans have a rule about not swimming for 40 or so minute's right after you've eaten." He grinned.

Alfred laughed, "Well looks like we broke that rule."

"So we did." Gilbert sighed and floated down, swimming under Alfred and along the sandy bed. "Well come on, follow me. We'd better head to the island now."

"So no human goes to it?" Alfred swam down lower, matching Gilbert's distance from the seafloor and his pace.

"Humans go to it, they just don't live on it."

"What? Then how are we going to get on the island without exposing ourselves?" Alfred whipped his head to look at Gilbert.

The shark rolled his eyes, blowing some bubbles in minor annoyance. "There's a cave under the water that leads through the island and into an empty volcano. There's nothing but water, rocks, and some sea life in there. The water is pretty clear too. You can see through it like glass."

Alfred made a sound of acknowledgement. With a quick flick of his tail, Gilbert picked up the pace. The two of them both glanced up when there was a distinct hum coursing through the water. High above them was a boat with a motor. It cut across the waves easily, heading towards the island at a much quicker pace than Alfred and Gilbert were aiming for. The albino sniffed, muttering something about humans disrupting the water. The two of them swam on, playfully slapping tails and bumping into each other on occasion.

There were boats that frequently zoomed over, making both Alfred and Gilbert pause every now and again.

"Our only big problem is if they decide to jump in and go for a swim. Or if they decide to hike up the volcano." Gilbert mumbled.

Alfred gave a grunt in agreement, taking Gilbert's hand and swimming a little faster. Gilbert led them towards where the sea floor gave way and took a deep turn down. They swam towards a mouth of a dark cavern, stopping at the front of it. Gilbert glanced down it then up at the surface where it was visible to see a few boats parked near the island.

"It'll get dark once we go on. Just stay close to me and you should probably be fine." The albino told the other.

Alfred nodded in understanding. "Got it."

Gilbert let his hand slip from Alfred's and he swam into the cave. Alfred followed after, keeping close to Gilbert's tail. Almost instantly they were swallowed up by darkness. Alfred squinted through the blackness, trying to spot the red-eyed male. He could only hear the swish of Gilbert's tail and the sound of him breathing through his gills. Alfred hesitated, reaching out and brushing his hand against Gilbert's tail. He shot back when Gilbert bolted forward and let out a shriek.

"Sorry!" Alfred said to the darkness in front of him.

He jumped when Gilbert's hands wrapped around his neck and shook him. "You bastard! Don't touch my tail so suddenly like that! Give me a warning before you reach out!" Gilbert growled.

Alfred could feel his nose brush Gilbert's and the bubbles blown in his face. He let out a small chuckle, reaching up to take Gilbert's wrist. He lowered his hands, grinning happily.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were sensitive on your tail." Alfred chuckled.

"I'm not." The albino snapped in annoyance.

If Gilbert could see him, he'd be even angrier with the delight etched onto Alfred's face. "Right right. You're not sensitive at all." Just to tease him, Alfred brushed his tail against Gilbert's.

"Ah!" Gilbert squeaked. He tried to tug himself out of Alfred's grip. "Stop messing around you idiot!"

Alfred hummed in delight, letting go of Gilbert. "Alrighty then. Lead the way."

Alfred could hear annoyed muttering before he felt the water pushed from Gilbert's tail. The two of them made their way through the darkness before Alfred could see light in front of them. Gilbert was first to reach the light, his form bathed in it. Alfred stayed near the shadows, watching the beautiful form get enveloped in light. Gilbert looked up, his tail swishing lightly.

The young prince could not remove his eyes from Gilbert. He practically glowed with the way his hair and scales caught the light. The pink on his tail was more illuminated and meshed well with his white scales. His pale skin gave its own unearthly glow. Alfred once again had his breath stolen away by how captivating Gilbert was. The albino turned his fiery red eyes on him, a brow raised in question.

"Why are you sticking to the shadows like some creeper? Come on!" He swam up, breaking the trance Alfred was in.

Alfred hesitated, following Gilbert up and through the opening above them. He looked around, his eyes wide. They were inside a volcano; that much was evident. There were large outcroppings of rocks near the edges of the large dome and towards the center. Along the bottom was clean white sand with only a few strings of kelp growing. As Gilbert has stated, the water was crystal clear and felt completely fresh and untainted.

Alfred looked around, not spotting the albino anywhere. He frowned, trying to look for the other. He noticed the tip of Gilbert's fin sticking in the water from the surface. He swam towards it, realizing Gilbert was on the outcropping of rocks in the center of the empty volcano. He slowly rose to the surface, poking his head up from the water. Alfred focused on the shark who was lying on his side, eyes closed as he basked in the warm light.

"Doesn't this feel nice?" Gilbert sighed, stretching out.

Alfred set his elbows on the edge of the rock bed, settling his chin down with them. "Yeah."

They rested in silence for a while longer before Alfred reached his hand out. His fingertips brushed against Gilbert's necklace, grazing against the barbs. Gilbert, having been resting his eyes, slowly opened them to scowl at Alfred. The blue-eyed prince paid no mind, continuing his little game of tugging and playing with Gilbert's necklace.

"What're you doing?" Gilbert grumbled out, not putting in the effort to bat Alfred's hand away.

Alfred paused before sighing, hoisting himself up onto the rock and next to Gilbert. He leaned over the other, one of his hands placed near the side of Gilbert's head. With his other hand, he reached up and brushed some of Gilbert's hair out of his face. The white-haired male turned to look up at Alfred, his brows drawn together in mild confusion. Alfred drew his fingers through Gilbert's hair and kept a calm façade.

Alfred leaned down, his face inching closer to Gilbert's. The shark took a quick intake of breath as Alfred drew closer, their lips merely inches apart. Alfred brushed them against each other tentatively. He drew back an inch and locked eyes with Gilbert. The albino hesitated before he smirked, reaching up and wrapping his arms around Alfred's neck. He forced his head down, connecting their lips once more.

Alfred settled one of his hands on Gilbert's hip, right where the skin gave way to scales. He kissed the shark passionately, parting his lips and licking Gilbert's upper lip. The albino gave him access to his hot cavern, deepening the kiss with a mere brush of tongues. Alfred got a sudden thrill at the sound Gilbert made against his lips. He pulled away and let his lips trail lower. He sucked on Gilbert's jaw, nibbling slightly. Gilbert took a quick intake of breath when Alfred's lips moved to his neck and nipped at the tender flesh.

They would've continued, had it not been from the sound coming high above them. There was the clatter of rocks and the sound of them landing in the water. Both Fish-people stopped to look up at the top of the volcano, spotting what appeared to be people coming over the side. Gilbert strained to listen, able to make out what they were saying thanks to the echo of the empty cave.

"It's so high up!" A girl exclaimed.

"This is a good place to climb! Just wait till we reach the bottom." The voice sounded male.

Gilbert and Alfred both shared a look before slipping into the water and quickly swimming to the hole in the ground. They swam in and lingered towards the shadows. They turned to each other and broke out laughing, both rather giddy that they were almost spotted by humans. Alfred swam over to Gilbert, bathed both in light and the shadows. The prince took Gilbert's cheeks, still grinning from ear to ear. He brought their lips together once more, loving the sound of surprise coming from Gilbert. His tail slid closer to the shark's, brushing against his before slowly intertwining with it. Gilbert's eyes shot open and he quickly shoved Alfred away, breaking contact with their tails.

Alfred and Gilbert both gave each other a wide-eyed stare. The albino's cheeks flushed a dark red and he glanced away from Alfred, covering his mouth with his arm.

"We'd better get going. We don't want to risk being seen." He moved past Alfred, swimming deeper into the darkness.

Alfred took a moment to smack himself in the forehead and groan internally. How could he have tried that? Winding tails together was considered a very intimate move. Alfred had tried to do it with Gilbert. Some fish he only met yesterday. Already he was kissing and trying to tie tails. Just what was he thinking?! Alfred shook his head, smacking himself in the forehead a couple more times.

"Stupid stupid stupid…!" He muttered to himself.

"You coming or not?" Gilbert's voice echoed from inside the tunnel.

Alfred sighed and swam after the white haired male. Gilbert kept a wide pace ahead of him, not letting Alfred get anywhere near him. While Alfred was beating himself up over how stupid he was being, Gilbert was no better. He rubbed his temple, grumbling about how he was losing himself. The albino covered his mouth, a sick feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. He had almost let himself get swept away with Alfred. He had almost let them intertwine tails. Alfred was a prince sent to kill him, just why were they going so far as to wind tails?

_What am I doing?!_ Gilbert kept his eyes focused in front of him. _It's not the fact that he's a prince. Hell, I could care less about that. The fact that he's here for my head makes it no better. I mean, what am I even doing? It was one thing to kiss him at the restaurant, but to let him kiss me again. Just how far was I planning to go?_ Gilbert's shoulders tensed and he almost cursed himself aloud.

When they arrived at the beach, he swam up and shot out of the water, landing on a flat rock that was still a few inches under. He drew his tail up and tucked it next to him. Alfred surfaced a few seconds later, looking between a mixture of confusion and hesitation. He bit his bottom lip, lowering himself to where the bridge of his nose and up were the only things out of water. Alfred blew a few bubbles, waiting for Gilbert to say something. When the other refused to talk, he blew more bubbles in frustration before sinking below the waves.

Gilbert swallowed, ignoring how awkward it kind of was. He reached up and grabbed the shell pinning some of his hair back. Taking it out, he set it on his lap. The albino ran his fingers through his hair, tousling some of the matted white locks. He sighed, looking up at the sky. Leaning back slightly, he closed his eyes and exhaled. The sun felt nice against his skin. It was warm and soothing. The cooling water settling around the bottom of his tail and the sound of the waves also helped him unwind.

While Gilbert was trying to relax, Alfred was swimming around the bottom of the seafloor. After swimming back and forth for around 10 minutes, Alfred stopped to think. He floated down and settled in the sand, his hands crossed over his chest while he thought. He pondered over what he was trying to do. Why had he tried to wind tails with Gilbert? He had done that unconsciously! That was something only mates and mates-to-be did. Why did he do that all of a sudden?

Alfred hummed in thought, trying to figure himself out. This was the first time in a long while he had laughed and smiled so much. His cheeks were actually quite sore with how much he was smiling. It was all thanks to Gilbert, someone he was supposed to kill. Yet when he thought about it, he'd rather hang with Gilbert more than go back to the kingdom. At the kingdom he was trapped, he wasn't allowed to think for himself. Here he was free. Free to think, free to move, and free to be whom he wanted. Gilbert didn't have high expectations from him.

Being with Gilbert didn't cause Alfred any distress. He rather liked hanging out with the albino. He was better company than the princess, that's for sure. Alfred hesitated, his eyes widening at that. Alfred found more appeal in being with Gilbert than being with the princess. In fact, if Alfred thought hard about it, he'd much rather make Gilbert his bride instead of the princess. Gilbert didn't act like snobish royalty and he didn't even bow to Alfred like a loyal subject. He found Alfred to be his equal, not someone of higher rank.

The American suddenly gasped, snapping his fingers and grinning like an idiot. "I just had the most perfect idea ever!"

Alfred couldn't help the giddy feeling rising in his chest. He'd court Gilbert! That was the perfect plan of action! If he courted Gilbert and actually succeeded, he wouldn't have to marry the princess. He also wouldn't have to kill Gilbert. It was the perfect plan, this way Gilbert lived and Alfred could actually spend his life with someone he wanted to be around. Someone who didn't expect him to be a prince 24/7. Someone who made him smile and made him laugh. Gilbert was the perfect candidate. While Alfred didn't know if he'd still want to be with Gilbert forever, they could always annul the marriage at any time.

The young prince had to admit that it seemed a little bitter that he was using Gilbert for such motives. But when he thought of the outcome, the idea didn't seem too bad. He just couldn't tell Gilbert his plan. It wasn't that he didn't trust the other, it was just that he didn't know if Gilbert would go along with his plan if he said anything. Besides, Gilbert might not really want to go along with it. If he came willingly, that'd be the best thing. Alfred nodded, coming to a conclusion. He would court Gilbert and make him his bride. That way he could get out of killing the albino and get out of his marriage to the princess.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Wooohooo, fuck. Long time to update, I know. Mainly because of school, and the fact that my school gave me fuCKING FOOD POISONing I MEAN REALLY. Anyways, I went to con yesterday and it was really fun. I went as Nyo!Prussia, I'll post photos on my tumblr. I also conducted weddings, uninterrupted this time! I also got married to another Prussia XD So yeah, yesterday was a pretty awesome day! I'm sorry for this taking so long, but I might have some news that might make up for it? If you hadn't heard, I started up a "King of Slytherin" blog! It's where i'll post short stories based off the cuties from The King of Slytherin. I designed the blog so that you can ask ANY of the characters involved in the FanFic about something and I'll write a short little story to answer it. How long the story is depends on the answer. Right now I currently have one part out, a little babysitting involving Franux and Alfred. Plus a bunch of childish behavior and destruction of property from Franux, but eh, what could you expect. NOW! Besides that, I am bumping up the rating for obvious reasons explained in this chapter. Best wishes to you duckies. Muwahahahaha, enjoy this chapter along with Alfred's adorable dorkie cutieness. BUT FIRST REVIEWS

**Yukikosnow139**: I'm so glad you like it ;x;

**Prumery**: ;w; I hope this chapter meets your taste

Annnnd that's all I got for reviews this chapter... remember duckies, reviews keep me alive ;w; I love to hear what you have to say even if it's random. Anywho, enjoy this chapter!

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For the next two days Alfred had tried everything he could think of to court Gilbert. When he had brought him colourful shells, something Mermaids would find simply lovely, the albino merely said thanks. He then put them with his other junk and used a light blue shell as a replacement for his other shell pin. With that he had some of his hair pinned up like when Alfred first met him. The young prince then tried looking for some jewellery the shark could wear. The items he found were given to the male, yet they were forgotten not a minute later.

Alfred was at his wits end. Everything that would normally attract a Mermaid, Gilbert paid no attention to! Alfred was growing quite frustrated, just why wasn't it working? Could it be Alfred was doing it wrong? _No way._ He shook his head, casting that thought out as quickly as it had come. The Mer-folk were taught from an early age what it took to court a Mer-person, seeing as how it tended to work for both males and females. Suddenly, Alfred realised his mistake. The blond smacked himself in the forehead, groaning.

"How could I have been so stupid? Gilbert is a _shark_, not a Mer-person." He laughed at his forgetfulness. "No wonder it wasn't working!"

He hesitated, a new question forming. _If a Mer-person's courting ritual didn't work, then how did sharks court? I can't exactly ask Gilbert… That'll just blow my chances out of the water._ He grimaced, there were two options. One, he could go into town and hope there was a book about it. The second option was to swim into shark territory and hope that he stumbled upon sharks that were willing enough to tell him. Weighing his options, Alfred decided to go with the second one. While the first option was safest, there was the chance that some fish could get suspicious. I mean, why would a he need a book on shark mating rituals?

Alfred nodded, his mind set. He swam up to the surface, poking his head out. Gilbert was lying on his stomach on a shallow rock and sunbathing. Alfred swam over to him, stopping a bit in front of the other. He rested his hands on the rock and lowered his head so his chin was lying on his hands. Gilbert didn't open his eyes, though the flick of his tail seemed to mean that he was aware of Alfred's presence.

"Hey, Gilbert?"

"Hm?" The shark hummed.

"Just a question, which way is the sharks territory?" He asked in an innocent tone, not wanting to draw suspicion.

The other pointed towards the distant sea, opposite from the direction of where the closest Mer-city was. "That way." He said, still not opening his eyes.

"And how would one, oh I dunno… tell a shark they mean no harm without talking to them?" Alfred smiled harmlessly when Gilbert cracked an eye open to stare at him.

One white brow raised in question, but the German didn't press on. "You'd tie a piece of kelp around the base of your tail and around your right wrist. They'll read it as you mean no harm, though it's only effective if you have no weapons. If you have even a small blade on you, they'll attack."

Alfred nodded, "Got it."

"Why do you want to know?"

Alfred grinned at him, "Oh, just curious."

Gilbert narrowed his eyes in suspicion, lifting himself so he was propped up on his elbows. "Just what are you planning?"

"Nothing, nothing!" Alfred sang, raising his hands to signify he meant no harm.

The shark looked unconvinced, so Alfred did the only thing he could think of to deter the other. He lifted himself up out of the water and gave Gilbert a quick peck on the lips. Gilbert blushed darkly, his body reeling back in shock. He slipped off the rock and splashed into the water, surfacing a few minutes later.

"You bottom feeder! What the hell was that?!" He growled at Alfred.

"Just a little kiss, don't tell me it took you by surprise?" Alfred chuckled.

Gilbert swam over to him and aimed a fist at his head. Alfred easily dodged the half-hearted throw, catching Gilbert's wrist.

"Don't do it again or else." Gilbert scowled, his blush still reaching his ears.

Alfred tilted his head to the side, grinning. He slipped a hand around Gilbert's waist, pulling him closer. "Or what?" He purred.

"Or I'll bite your tongue off." To demonstrate, he showed his teeth and chomped them a few times, each time closer to Alfred's face.

Alfred quickly let him go, swimming backwards slightly. "Got it."

Gilbert snorted, climbing back onto the rock and spreading himself out. "I'm gonna take a nap, don't disturb me with stupid questions alright?"

Alfred couldn't hide his elated grin, now was his chance to go find other sharks! "You got it! I'll just go explore a bit, that sound fine?"

"Don't get lost and don't go on land. I don't want to be bailing you out of jail." The albino smirked at the pout he received.

"I'm a prince! I know proper etiquette! There's no way I'd be thrown in jail!" He huffed, his cheeks a bit pink.

"Uh-huh. Whatever you say." Gilbert waved off Alfred's response, lowering his body onto the semi-wet rock and closing his eyes.

Alfred sulked for a few more seconds before he disappeared under the water. He swam to the bottom and ripped a long piece of kelp out from the sandy ground. He tied it around the base of his fin and another smaller piece around the proper wrist. He didn't have his weapons on him, they were hidden somewhere only he knew. Regretfully, he took Gilbert's words to heart and left without weapons. He couldn't help the feeling of being so vulnerable and defenceless. The sensations was completely unnerving.

Alfred swam in the direction Gilbert pointed, not slowing down. The sooner he learned how to court Gilbert, the better. After swimming for a good half-hour, the landscape started to change. It began to look made up more of grey than anything. There were mountains of craggy rock towering high above Alfred. Multiple caves lined the sides, each darker and deeper than the other. Alfred was positive he saw eyes in a few of them. Needless to say, the shark territory looked like it was a barren wasteland. He bit the inside of his cheek, wondering if there was any sharks living nearby.

Just when he was ready to give up his search, something suddenly shot up from under him. Alfred reeled back with a yelp, watching with wide-eyes as the shark pointed a sharpened bone-made spear at him. From how thick and light it seemed, Alfred could only assume it was made from whale bone.

"What do you want?" The shark growled, pointing the spear threateningly at Alfred.

The shark before him had dark brown hair, a stray curl forming from it. He also had a tannish, coppery tail with darker markings. Alfred blinked in surprise, this was a tiger shark.

"U-uh hi, I'm Alfred. I just would like some information on a few things." Alfred waved awkwardly, forcing a small.

"To bad. Leave." The Italian snarled menacingly. Though he was smaller than Alfred, he was more dangerous seeing as how he was the one with a weapon.

"Lovino! Don't be so mean!" Came a lighter voice. Another tiger shark swam up to join his comrade. From the looks of things, they were twins. The newest shark just had lighter scales along with lighter hair. "Ciao! I'm Feliciano and this is my brother Lovino! What is it you'd like to ask mister? I'd be more than happy to answer them for you!"

The other shark, Lovino, growled at his spear-wielding brother. He grabbed his shoulder, giving him a small shove.

"Idiot! Don't go answering questions for a random fish!" Lovino snapped.

"Maybe he just wants some directions?" Feliciano suggested, not at all put off by the shove.

Alfred raised a hand, hoping to break in before conflict arose. "Actually, I know where I'm going, I just need information on courting a shark."

That shut up both Lovino and Feliciano. They stared at Alfred for quite a while before Feliciano broke into a wide grin.

"Well why didn't you say so? I know everything there is to know about courting a shark!" Feliciano swam closer to Alfred, practically bursting with enthusiasm.

"Hold on, hold on, hold on!" Lovino shoved his brother out of the way so he could be right in front of Alfred. "You do know that the shark you're trying to court _will _be kicked out of their tribe if they become your mate, correct? I mean, it's forbidden for a shark to mate with a Mer-fish. Though, it might depend on how lenient the tribe is, only a few of them actually accept that kind of thing."

Alfred grinned at that, "Oh I know. He was already kicked out of his tribe long before I met him, so there's no problem right?"

Lovino frowned, his brows drawn together. "… If you get the information, will you leave?"

"Yep! I swear it! You'll never see me again after this!" Alfred promised, drawing an "_x_" over his heart for emphasis.

After a few more minutes of Lovino thinking it over and ignoring his brother's whines, he finally nodded his head. "Fine, we'll tell you what you need to know."

They moved over to an outcropping of rocks to sit on. Lovino and Feliciano sat across from Alfred. While Lovino still looked at him suspiciously, he wasn't threatening Alfred with his spear, so that was a plus for the prince.

"Ok! Now on courting a shark, it takes great effort!" Feliciano hummed happily.

"Is it different from how Mer-people court?" Alfred frowned slightly.

"Well what'd you try?" Lovino asked, leaning back on his palms.

Alfred hummed in thought, "Well let's see… I brought him jewellery, shells, colourful rocks, Seahorse stones, and flower coral. It's really hard to find flower coral around these parts! I searched for hours!"

Lovino rolled his eyes while Feliciano giggled. "Sharks don't like those things silly!"

"That's your problem. You're thinking of what a Mer-person would like, this is a shark you're trying to get." Lovino snorted, shaking his head.

Alfred's shoulders deflated and he blew a few bubbles in frustration. "I've noticed. So what do I do?"

"Well there's a number of things you can do. Start out subtle, you don't want to be shut down right away. When a shark is the one being courted, they can get a bit hostile and you'll have to deal with them delicately. They'll want to prove that they're still strong. If they haven't outright bitten your throat out, you know that you're doing well." Lovino informed.

"Personal space is a must or else they'll get real defensive!" Feliciano added.

With Alfred's nod, Lovino continued. "The best way to start is by hunting for them. There's nothing that would please a shark more than having their favourite food served to them. Find out what your shark likes, though that could depend on what shark he is."

"Tiger shark." Alfred informed.

"Oh! Then he'll most likely love anything. But try a fish that he wouldn't be able to get often. Ah! And it has to be fresh, no one wants a two week old fish." Feliciano scrunched up his nose at the thought.

"Fresh fish. Got it." Alfred confirmed.

Lovino moved his body so that he could lay on his stomach. "Then after a while of doing that, say a day or two start bringing him fish ribs. He'll most likely string a necklace out of them."

He smirked when Alfred wrinkled his nose in obvious distaste. Thankfully, Feli spoke up to help Alfred out. "If you don't want to get him fish bones, you can always give him a weapon. Something he'll use to fight with and that he won't need to throw away. Arrows are a no, they can get lost when fighting. Something like a spear or a knife."

Alfred smiled in relief, "That could work."

"When they start showing an interest, they'll also give you something. This could be anything really. The main thing is that you don't reject the gift, no matter how stupid. It can range from a necklace to a bracelet to an interesting shell. Though the jewellery given will most likely be made out of bones, so don't freak out when you get it.

"When you start getting gifts, invite them out onto a night hunt. Night hunts are a great way to bond. Since you're a Merman, you can't see in the dark all too well. This will give the shark you're courting a chance to help and teach you where to put your fin. How you know it's time to make your move is when the shark you're courting falls asleep on you. If they feel so comfortable that they'd willingly sleep on you, then you know you're in the clear. The next step is crucial, if you don't do it then you'll end up looking like you're not man enough to take the next step." Lovino waited for a nod of understanding from Alfred.

"What's the next step?" Alfred questioned hesitantly.

"Mating!" Feliciano exclaimed a little too happily.

Alfred blinked in surprise, "Mating? Like, full on intercourse?"

"Yes. If you don't stake your fucking claim right after they wake up, you lose your chance. Its crazy important, like it's vital." Lovino stressed.

"So I have to mate with him? What if he's not willing?" Alfred was growing frustrated with how simple shark costumes were, yet they were also complicated in their own way.

"He'll seem unwilling at first, most likely try to bite you here and there. But his bites won't puncture your skin or leave wounds. What you can do to get him in the mood is to bite him back." Lovino offered.

Feli gasped, clapping his hands together. "Bite somewhere close to his gills! That feels really good!"

Alfred raised a brow at the giggling shark, glancing at Lovino in question. The other shark merely shook his head, more or less silently telling Alfred that this happened often. "Feli here has a mate."

"So is that everything I'll need to know?" Alfred asked, knowing he was short on time and needed to know everything he could. Who knew when Gilbert would wake up?

Lovino paused, drawing his brows together as he thought about it. "… Ah, almost forgot!" He snapped his fingers before giving Alfred a hard stare. "Sharks mate for life. So if you plan on dropping him sometime in the future, don't court him."

Alfred hesitated, swallowing. "I got it."

Lovino sighed through his nose, lifting himself up off the rock. "Well that's that then. Good luck."

"Good bye Mr. Merman!" Feli waved happily, moving to join his brother.

"It's Alfred." The prince gave them a wide smile, waving bye to them.

They bid each other goodbye, swimming their own way. Alfred headed back, moving quickly in case Gilbert was awake. After he arrived into familiar territory, Alfred wondered what he should do. Thinking over the new information he learned, Alfred nodded.

"Ok. Hunting first. Let's see… there's rockfish all around here… they frequent a lot…. But he always eats rockfish…." Alfred suddenly gasped, his eyes lighting up. "I got it!"

Gilbert had woken up around two hours after Alfred returned. His stomach had decided then to practice whale calls, so he had no other choice but to wake up. Opening his eyes, he grumbled in annoyance. He had slept on the rock bed, yes, and it had been quite comfortable. However, there had been a stray pebble lodged into his side and it was beginning to dig into the tender flesh. He slid off into the water, his body shivering at the temperature change. Gilbert stretched out, popping a few joints back into place.

He looked around, seeing empty open water everywhere he looked. Gilbert frowned, wondering just where the boisterous prince had swam off to.

"Hey, Alfred?" He called, waiting for an answer. When he received none, the albino was beginning to grow a little worried. _He couldn't have left, could he? Did he go back to his kingdom? _He paled, suddenly wondering if the other was going to give away his whereabouts.

Gilbert shook that thought from his head, declaring it unawesome to be worrying like he was doing. Instead he decided to go hunt, maybe he'd find Alfred along the way. Just as he was prepping to go and find a tasty meal, he heard his name called along the waves. Glancing over his shoulder, Gilbert squinted, catching a glimpse of golden wheat hair.

He waited for Alfred to swim up to him, the male leaning over to take in a few gasps of water. He grinned up at Gilbert, it was then that Gilbert noticed Alfred had his bow and arrows on him.

"Where you going?" Alfred panted, gradually recovering.

"I was just about to go and find something to eat. Where were you?" Gilbert asked, a brow raised in question.

Alfred seemed to brighten considerably. He turned and began digging through a satchel at his side. "Actually, I was out hunting! I figured you'd be hungry when you woke up, so I went to find you something!"

Gilbert blinked in surprise, "Really?"

"Yeah! Here!" Alfred grinned, pulling out four lovely coloured fish.

Red eyes widened as Gilbert looked at the palm-sized morsels. "You caught me food?"

"Yep!" Alfred held them out to Gilbert, waiting for the white shark to take them.

Gilbert blinked in surprise, actually looking closely at the fish colouration. "And not just any fish, you got me some Hawaiian Potters Angelfish?"

Alfred nodded eagerly, practically beaming when Gilbert took the fish from him. The Hawaiian Potters Angelfish was hard to find around these parts, it was mostly near the other islands. Gilbert tended to avoid leaving the forbidden beachside for that specific reason. The less fish that saw him, the better. So the albino couldn't have the luxury of meals located near Fiji. Gilbert picked up one of the fishes, sniffing it.

"You hunted for me…" The white-haired shark mumbled.

Alfred caught the light blush dusting the pale skin of Gilbert, the red even reaching up to his ears. He grinned, putting his hands behind his back and rocking back and forth slowly. "Yeeeep."

Gilbert glanced between the fish and Alfred, his lip quirking in a half smile. "Thanks…"

Alfred watched Gilbert for a while, the albino making no move to eat. His smile slowly turned into a frown and his brows drew together in obvious confusion and panic.

"I-is something wrong?" Alfred tensed, maybe he should've tried to catch a different fish? Did Gilbert not like the colour? Was it too small? Was there not enough?

Gilbert shook his head rather quickly, smiling reassuringly at Alfred. "No, actually I swear there's nothing wrong. It's just that… I don't think you'd want to see me… you know… eat."

Realization dawned on Alfred when he thought about it. _Well… If I'm going to go through with this, I should get used to the way he eats… _

"Oh go ahead and eat! I'm fine with it." Alfred grinned, floating down to the sandy floor and pulling his tail up to his chest, wrapping his arms around it.

Gilbert followed, sitting in front of him with his tail tucked around his side. He raised a brow, setting the other fishes on his lap. "Well alright… If you're sure…."

Alfred watched Gilbert pick up one of the fishes and bite into it, his razor sharp teeth slicing through it like it was made of butter. The young prince tried not to shudder at how easily the fish was consumed, this was something he had to get used to. He continued to smile, even as Gilbert chewed his food.

Gilbert swallowed, whipping his mouth and waving away the red tinted water. "Yeah ok, can you seriously stop staring at me like that? You're freaking me out."

Alfred jumped, blushing. "Sorry! D-didn't mean to."

The shark gave him a half smile, showing off his sharpened fangs. "Don't worry about it. Just… cool it on the staring."

Alfred nodded, looking up at the calm water. "So… How's it taste?"

"Sweet." Gilbert grunted, finishing off the last fish.

Alfred smiled, leaning back and humming lightly. So far, Alfred would say he'd done a rather swell job. Now he just needed to hunt for Gilbert's every meal. He dug into his satchel, pulling out some clams and snapping them open, munching on their contents. Gilbert finished his meal rather quickly, very much liking the fish. He licked his lips and his fingers rather happily.

Alfred looked down at one of the oysters he held, glancing at Gilbert before holding it out to him. "Want one? If you're still hungry that is…"

Gilbert looked at him, a little surprised. "Um yeah… sure…" He took it, hesitating. "Never really ate an oyster before."

"Really?" Alfred's eyes widened slightly.

"Yeah. Never really had the need to." He tried to bite into the hard shell, his teeth clacking against it. "Do I just eat the shell? Is it fine to eat the shell?"

Alfred laughed, taking the oyster and using his knife to pop it open. He held it out to him and smiled. "Here."

Gilbert took it, peeling it out of the shell and tentatively raising it to his lips. He stuck his pink tongue out, sliding it across the oyster flesh. Humming in interest, Gilbert slid the piece of flesh past his mouth and chewed it up, swallowing. He licked his lips, grinning widely.

"That's really good! Do you have any more?" Gilbert slid closer to the blond.

Alfred beamed at him, pulling out a few more molluscs. The two consumed the rather delicious meal, Gilbert having more of the shelled flesh than Alfred. However, the prince didn't seem to mind. In fact, he was quite happy with the fact that Gilbert accepted the offered food.

This went on for the next three days, Alfred would catch breakfast and dinner for Gilbert since the shark insisted on catching his own lunch. He actually sometimes gathered a few clams for Alfred whenever he stumbled upon them on his hunt. The blue-tailed Merman was quite grateful for that. After the third day, Alfred decided it was time to try and take the next step in his quest to court Gilbert.

Alfred knew that he wasn't going to buy a weapon for Gilbert, he was going to carve it for the albino. He told Gilbert that he'd be gone for a while and that he shouldn't worry. Alfred promised to return hopefully before the sun set, though he wasn't 100% positive about that. What Alfred was searching for was in deeper waters, mostly near the sea floor of trenches and what not.

"If I'm correct, it should be somewhere around here…" He mumbled, looking at the map he kept in his satchel.

Rounding the corner of a large rocky outcropping, Alfred glanced up and gasped at the sight before him.

"Found it!" He grinned happily. Alfred had found the bone graveyard.

It was a graveyard containing a wide assortment of bones. Each bone told its own story, some bones even dated back to the prehistoric era. Alfred was here with a goal in mind. He wanted to get Gilbert a blade of some sort, but he wanted to make it himself. So here he was, intending to harvest the bone needed to make such a weapon.

He swam past the pile of massive bones, his head whipping from side to side. He was wringing the map tightly in his hands, his eyes wide and alert. The large body of water surrounding him was empty of life, there wasn't even krill floating through the vacant waters. Alfred bit his bottom lip, continuing on his search for the perfect bone.

"C-come on Al… There's nothing to be scared about. This is just a graveyard… A graveyard for giant dead creatures that could totally come back to life and haunt you…." He let out a small whine, swimming faster as he searched each and every skeleton.

He was aiming for a tooth or a rib that was lightweight and easy to handle. Alfred wasn't worried about carving out the blade from the tooth, no, he was quite good at doing that. His only problem was if Gilbert would like it or not.

"He's gotta like it, right? It's made out of bone, plus it's a weapon! He's gonna love it!" Alfred tried to reassure himself, swimming on.

He swam deeper and deeper, biting his bottom lip and chewing on it. "Let's see… fresher stuff is on the top and the older things are a little underground…"

He hummed, weighing his options. On one hand, Gilbert might think it'd be pretty cool to have a weapon made of old bones. Then there was the chance that Gilbert could think it was gross that he went and made a knife out of an old tooth. Alfred shrugged, he'd just have to hope for the best. But Gilbert tended to be a little unpredictable. He didn't know if the albino would like it or not, that's what scared him the most.

Alfred stopped, seeing a cave quite a bit ahead of him. Swimming over to it, he noticed it was kind of a tight squeeze. He took a deep breath, ignoring the fact that he could end up getting stuck down there and end up dying. _No! Bad thought! Keep it away! _Alfred smacked himself in the forehead, shaking his head and staring at the hole with new determination. He didn't know how deep it went, nor did he know if it would be completely dark in there. He searched around in his bag for the jar of glowing algae he kept with him always.

Nodding, he stuffed it back into his satchel before diving head first into the hole. He grunted, having to pull himself along the rather thin tunnel. It took a bit of effort and some rather uncomfortable rubbing against his scales. He pulled himself through the hole for what seemed like hours. Alfred was soon convinced that the tunnel must stretch on forever. Just when he was giving hope that he'd be stuck going down an endless path, he no longer felt the tunnel walls around his hands. He pulled himself the rest of the way out of the passageway, looking around.

He was apparently in a very wide hidden cave, but Alfred could only see in the limited light streaming in through the small tunnel. He reached into his bag and pulled out the jar. It glowed a light electric blue, bathing a rather generous amount of his surroundings in light. Holding it up, he could see that there was a solid roof above him that stretched on for quite a long ways away.

Looking below him, Alfred had a hard time seeing the bottom. Holding out his jar of light, he leaned over, trying to squint and see the end.

"Just how far down does it go?" He mumbled.

His grip must've slackened on the jar, for it slipped through his hand and began to plummet down, dragging the light with it.

"Oh shit!" Alfred exclaimed, diving after it.

He swam quickly, his hands wrapping around its glassy form. He pulled to a stop, breathing out a sigh of relief. Looking up, he noticed that he was quite a bit away from the entrance. Looking below him, Alfred blinked in surprise. He could actually see the makeshift of a floor. It was more rocky and jagged than Alfred expected; there were only a few smooth parts here and there.

Lifting the jar up, he gazed around at what he could now see. Alfred's jaw dropped in awe and shock as he saw a massive skeleton. It was lying on a bed of smooth stone, its empty sockets gazing lifelessly at Alfred and everything around him. Alfred swam closer, hesitating slightly. He was trying to figure out just what the hell he was facing. It he remembered correctly, it was a very ancient creature. Something called Poseidon's-horse, or as the humans called it, a Pliosaurus Fenkei. The fish of the sea called it Poseidon's-horse because of its great size along with the belief that the great God rode its kind throughout the sea. Alfred swam close, swallowing the lump forming in his throat. It was intimidating, even if it was dead. Alfred reached out a hand tentatively, shaking slightly. He brushed it against one of the larger fangs, a chill running up his spine. He knocked his knuckle against the teeth, listening to the sound it made echoing around him.

He grinned, it was a nice, thick sound. That meant the tooth wasn't hollow and dull. Down here, the bones were well preserved and untainted by any creatures that liked to gnaw on the bones. He set the jar down, reaching into his bag and pulling out a pick and some type of hammer. He knew what he was doing, he had been plucking and carving teeth since he was a guppy. It was a thing he and his brother liked to do, after all, it was important for male Mermaids to know how to make their own weapon in case they go to war or need to fight for some reason or another.

He began picking at one of the smaller teeth in the back of the mouth. It was almost as long as his wrist to his elbow, the tip a little dull. He sucked through his teeth, blowing out a few bubbles as he sighed.

"I'll have to sharpen that." He grumbled as he began chipping at the bottom of the tooth, wriggling it as he tried to dislodge it from the jaw.

After a few more minutes of trying to wedge his chisel under the tooth, Alfred finally managed to pop it out of the socket. The sound it made echoed around the cave in an eerie manner, sending cold shudders down his spine. He slipped the tooth into his satchel, the tip sticking out a bit. He then bent over, picking the jar of light up and nodded.

"Alright. I'd better get…" He trailed off at the sudden groaning noise that echoed throughout the cavern followed by the sound of something sliding on the floor and rocks bouncing and hitting other rocks.

He looked over his shoulder and into the darkness, his heart beat quickening. His eyes went wide when the groaned creaking sound continued, sending another set of shivers up and down Alfred's spine. The young prince dropped his jar of algae, the item landing on the ground and rolling away from him and into the darkness. He heard the distinct sound of it smashing, most likely because it fell off a higher rock. The algae escaped into the water, lighting up the darkness as it spread out. Alfred let out a small squeak when a large octopus tentacle slithered from the darkness, catching the light made from the jar. It was massive, bigger than anything Alfred had ever seen.

More slipped from the shadows, all sliding along the ground towards Alfred. He let out a yelp, clawing at the water as he swam for the opening. He shot through, missing a tentacle by a tale-fin. He forced himself up the small tunnel, ignoring the scrapes the walls surrounding him were marking along his body. His only focus was to get out of dangers way, if he lost a few scales along the way then so be it.

He erupted from the ground with a cry, swimming higher until he was overlooking the boneyard below him, the skeletons now miniature looking. He winced, holding his side.

"Fuck. That was a kraken's lair. Ooooh fuck." He let out a shaky breath, his body shivering a little.

Looking down at his body, he assessed the damage. He had scrapes along his arms and some missing scales. On his hands were cuts thanks to him clawing his way out of the hole. Even his nails were chipped and bleeding slightly. He grimaced, wondering how his back looked. On the way up, Alfred had also felt rocks fly past and hit along his face, most likely marking it up as well. The young Merman could already feel his cheeks stinging.

"Gilbert had better like this gift…" He grumbled, wincing as he began swimming. _Yeah, I'm so gonna be feeling this in the morning._

"Where the hell have you been!? It's way past sundown! And why are you all banged up? Get into a fight or something?" Gilbert questioned, swimming towards Alfred.

He circled the blue-eyed male, a frown etched onto his pale features. "Seriously, what happened?" Gilbert stopped in front of Alfred, looking genuinely concerned.

Alfred made sure to keep the tooth hidden from Gilbert. He threw an arm over the albino's shoulders, grinning at him.

"You aren't going to believe it! I faced off against a giant octopus!" Alfred declared proudly.

"Giant as in this big?" He demonstrated, holding his hands apart by around three feet.

Alfred shook his head, "Nope. Try the size of a ship, maybe bigger."

Gilbert raised a brow, "You faced against a Kraken? Don't those guys stick underground and in the darker parts of the sea?"

Alfred nodded, grinning widely. "Mmmhmm! I found it in a cave!"

"What were you doing in a cave?"

Alfred suddenly stiffened, growing panicked as he thought of an answer. "Uuuuh…. Exploring? Anyways! I-I'm gonna sleep in the water tonight. Let the water heal my wounds."

Gilbert frowned slightly, but didn't question the sudden change of topic.

"Alright… If you say so. I'll be up on the surface then if you need me." He swam towards the shore, pausing to glance over his shoulder at Alfred. "Night…"

"Good night." Alfred smiled at him. He suddenly gasped when Gilbert was long out of the water. "Oh crap! I missed the chance for a good night kiss! Damn it!" He whined.

Reluctantly, Alfred moved towards the rock beds that cultivated with glowing algae. Instead of going to bed, Alfred planned to start cleaning the tooth. Then he'd start carving in the mornings. After that would lead to decorating it somehow.

The young prince grimaced, fearing the long sleepless nights ahead. But if he got what he wanted in the end, then it would all be worth it. When he reached the mass collection of growing organisms, he set to work. Taking out a rag, he set to work cleaning the tooth by rubbing a type of paste on it he had in a small jar. The paste was made out of crushed up Mer-scales and a few more ingredients. It was a pain to make, but the outcome was highly favoured. The paste could actually fix and strengthen weapons, remove chips in the frame, and it cleaned it very nicely.

That night, Alfred didn't go to sleep until late. The next morning, he made sure Gilbert thought he was busy. He then snuck off and began working on the tooth, only stopping for food breaks. He worked endlessly day and night, cutting back on his sleep just so the knife could be done sooner. After 4 days and 3 nights of perfecting the blade, Alfred was finally finished.

Gilbert was currently lounging on the rock Alfred first met him at, coincidentally. Alfred happily swam at the German who was cleaning his tail with some kelp.

"Gil!" He hugged the white shark from behind, giving a tight squeeze.

"Gah!" Gilbert shrieked, practically jumping out of his scales.

He twisted around in Alfred's grip to scowl darkly at him. Flicking him in the forehead, he blew bubbles in frustration. "Brat! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Alfred grinned, not deterred. He gave another tight squeeze, "I have something for you!"

Gilbert scowled, shoving Alfred away in annoyance. "Keep clinging to me like that and I won't accept it."

Alfred pouted, visibly sulking. "But Giiiiil." He whined, taking the man's arm and shaking it rather vehemently.

"Nein! What did I say about the clinging? It's seriously unawesome and girly." He blew more bubbles, baring his teeth in obvious displeasure.

Alfred paused, remembering what the other sharks had said about courting a shark. _Oooh right. They get real touchy or something._ He hummed, shrugging. _Oh well._

Grinning at the albino, he slipped his hands into his satchel. "Close your eyes."

One white brow lifted, pale hands crossing over an equally pale chest. "Why?"

"For your gift silly! Duh!" Alfred snickered.

Gilbert glared at Alfred in obvious suspicion. The innocent, dorky smile he received didn't help to feed that mistrust, however. With a reluctant sigh, Gilbert closed his eyes.

"Hold out your hands." Alfred swished his tail in excitement.

The shark groaned, holding out his hands and waiting patiently for said gift.

Alfred pulled out the knife, grinned at how good it looked. He had to admit it was by far the best thing he'd ever made. Its handle was carved out of the bone itself, the blade sharpened down to a fine point. Alfred had searched for the perfect kelp to wrap about the handle for a firmer grip. After searching for the softest and the smoothest, he found one that was a light tinted tan, working well with the pale white bone.

He placed it in Gilbert's hands, grinning from ear to ear. "Ok, you can open your eyes now."

Gilbert slowly opened his red eyes, glancing down at his hands. His eyes widened in shock and his head quickly snapped up to look at Alfred.

"Wh…" He trailed off, looking back down at the knife.

"Do you like it? I made it out of a tooth from a Poseidon's-Steed. It was really really hard to find! I even faced against a giant octopus! Told you I wasn't lying about that." Alfred grinned proudly.

Gilbert traced the blade with gentle fingers, the dainty limbs barely brushing against the smooth bone. He opened his mouth and closed it a few times, trying to figure out just what to say. Gilbert turned his gaze up towards Alfred, in awe at the creation.

"You made this?" He whispered, still quite shocked.

Alfred nodded happily, his hands behind his back as he waited patiently for Gilbert's shock to ebb away.

"And you actually weren't lying about the Octopus thing?"

Alfred pouted, puffing out his cheeks slightly. "I don't lie about cool things like that."

Gilbert snorted, clearly not believing Alfred. He looked back down at the blade, running his hand over it once more before he looked back up at Alfred and smiled. He held the gift up close to his chest, "Thanks, I love it. I really do."

Gilbert hesitated before leaning close and kissing Alfred on the cheek. He then swam back, giving him and the blushing prince some space.

"I… I'm gonna go test it out and get us something to eat." Gilbert gave a small wave, swimming off in search of food.

When he was out of sight, Alfred let out a cry of delight. He did a few flips in the water, swimming around in circles just to let out the intense joy and excitement he was feeling. After he managed to tire himself out for the time being, Alfred settled in the sand at the bottom of the calm sea. He sighed happily, staring up and watching the surface of the water shift and reflect the sunlight. With only a few seconds of silence, Alfred's energy was reawakened. He let out another squeal of delight, rolling around in the sand.

He managed to get his hair tousled along with sand underneath his scales, giving him a quite uncomfortable feeling. Though Alfred was a little too happy to care. He had succeeded! Gilbert loved his gift, if the kiss was anything to go by. At first Alfred wasn't sure he was doing well, but when Gilbert started bringing him food, Alfred was beginning to hope for the best. And now that Gilbert accepted his gift, it was only a matter of time till he gave Alfred his own gift, right?

Alfred clapped his hands together in glee, anticipating the gift. After he got the gift from Gilbert, he only needed to invite him on a Night Hunt, then wait for the albino to fall asleep on him, correct? _Shouldn't be too hard. _Alfred hummed happily, though he suddenly remembered something in the back of his mind. It was about 3 seconds later that Alfred fully recalled just what had slipped from his thoughts. After Gilbert woke up from sleeping on Alfred, the young prince was required to mate with the feisty shark.

"Oh shit."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: And here's the update. I want to thank my awesome friend for stepping up and becoming my editor. Helps a whole dang long. Mmmmm. Turned 17 two days ago, that was a blast. Got depressed and fed up with my other fanfic, wondering what I should do with it. Quit it or not? I've been getting complaints on how the story is and well... I guess people just don't seem to like Accidental Mate at the moment. I dunno what I'll do yet. Any who, rating is going up for this. Yay. I've really got nothing much to say... Oh! I'll be going to Tucson Comic Con! Yay : Let's hope that goes well! Aaaan with that I leave the story to you. Enjoy.

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Day after day Alfred awaited the gift from Gilbert. Night after night he was disappointed once more. For a good week, Gilbert didn't bring Alfred a gift. They still hunted food for each other, Gilbert getting lunch for the two. He had even started a pile of clams and oysters when they wanted something to snack on. Alfred was beginning to worry, did Gilbert not like his gift? Or was the food Gilbert caught supposed to be his gift? Should he just come out and ask the other to go on a Night Hunt?

_No, I can't do that! It'll probably mess everything I've already achieved! Who knows when if I'll ever get this far again! _Alfred wailed to himself.

While Alfred was having an inner turmoil, Gilbert was actually spending his time doing something he found to be quite important. He was in the hidden body of water inside the volcano, the albino busy working on something special. Gilbert had noticed Alfred was courting him the moment he had started to randomly hunt for the shark. His suspicions were confirmed when Alfred had given him the beautiful blade.

How the prince learned of Shark mating rituals bothered the male. He didn't learn it from Gilbert, plus he had been asking a lot of information on the shark territory and how to show he meant no harm. Quickly assuming that Alfred went directly to the sharks in order to ask, he couldn't help but admire the courage and bravery Alfred showed. He went into shark territory just to learn how to court Gilbert, how could he not be impressed? And the weapon! It cut through fish like butter and he was positive it might have been sharper than his teeth. Not to mention it was made from an old creature. If there was one thing sharks loved, it was ancient bones.

The shark was currently setting out a collection of nice looking fish bones. He was trying to decide which ones looked better when placed beside the red shell he had pinned in his hair the first time he met Alfred. The reason as to why he was going through so much effort? It was because he was making a gift for Alfred; which was proving to be quite a difficult task.

"Come on! These bones are so unawesome! It's gotta be perfect. Not too big and seriously not too small. No way am I giving Alfred such flimsy bones!" He ground his teeth together in frustration, letting out a soft growl.

Tossing the bones over his shoulder, the albino began searching through the pile of bones he had. For the past few days he had been collecting the bones from his meal, wanting the perfect pair for the Merman. Scowling, Gilbert began tossing the bones over his shoulder.

"No. No way. Lame. Not even if I was trapped in the darkest pits of Tartarus." He grumbled out as he sorted through the bones.

After a good five minutes of searching, Gilbert let out a growl of frustration. "Damn it!" He smashed his tail into the pile of bones, scattering them around the water. "If I was back home then I could go through my awesome stash of bones! I had a large collection of them too!"

He crossed his arms over his chest and blew a large amount of annoyed bubbles. Scowling, the male continued to talk to himself. "I was only able to take three of my bone necklaces!" He lifted up the piece of jewelry around his neck, frowning down at this one. "There's the one my father made me, the one my brother made, and the one I made…"

Gilbert tilted his head, "I have good bones on the one I made…" He suddenly gasped and quickly bolted out of the cave, swimming out into open waters and towards the shore. He hit himself in the forehead, snorting. "Duh! I'll just use the bones off of that one! They're Turtle-Dragon's teeth!"

Turtle-Dragon's, or as humans called them, Tylosaurus, were a rather common find in shark territory. However, not many sharks found a full set of teeth. Usually only one or two fangs were found, the rest having been plunked away and consumed by the creatures that ate teeth. When Gilbert was a young pup, he had stumbled upon a skeleton that was being consumed by bottom feeders. After chasing them away, he managed to pluck a total of four teeth, each in great condition for being old relics. So he had made a necklace out of it, wearing the fangs proudly.

Gilbert shot past a snoozing Alfred, the force of the water thanks to Gilbert's speed caused the male to actually flip on his side. He shot up, looking around wildly. Alfred caught a glimpse of the white tail disappearing above the surface, its owner dragging himself out and onto the beach. Swimming up to the surface, Alfred poked his head out and drew his brows together in confusion.

"Hey Gilbert, where's the tsunami?" He called out to the other.

Gilbert was too busy sitting near his secret hole of clothes and junk, digging in a tattered bag made of seal skin. He grunted instead, not looking at Alfred as he continued in his search. Upon spotting the piece of jewelry, he let out a cry of triumph and held it up in the air.

"Found it!" Putting the string holding it together in his mouth, Gilbert turned around and began clawing his way back down the beach and into the water.

"Er… found what?" Alfred asked, slipping under the waves when Gilbert dived down.

"None of your business!" Gilbert snapped, sticking his tongue out at Alfred as he swam back towards the island.

Alfred tried to hold in a retort, letting out a frustrated sigh. "Keep it together Alfie… Feliciano and Lovino said he'd get real touchy and such when being courted. It'll be fine." He whispered, trying to reassure himself.

Gilbert returned to the beach around lunch time, a rock-fish for him and a large pile of clams for Alfred. They ate on a rock, both males wanting to bask in the sunlight for a while. Afterwards Gilbert disappeared back in the water-filled volcano. Alfred felt quite lonely with nothing to do. He was currently sitting on a rock, digesting his recent meal.

"Hmm… What can I do…?" He furrowed his brows as he thought up some ways to escape his boredom. "I need a new jar… Broke the last one…" He grimaced when remembering the giant octopus.

Glancing in the direction where the secret bed of water was, Alfred turned his focus towards where the city was. "I can make it there and back before Gilbert notices I'm gone… right?" He glanced back and forth for a few more seconds before swimming to where he hid his satchel and weapons.

"It'll be fine," He told himself. "I'll even pick up some fish for Gilbert on the way back! He can have something other than rock-fish for dinner."

With his mind set, Alfred swam off. While he headed towards the city, Gilbert was busy taking apart his handmade necklace and fixing up the teeth. The albino wanted to make them look nice and cool when combined with the red shell. After setting it up on how he wanted it to be stringed, Gilbert took a moment to give it a quick once over. He had the red shell in the middle, two teeth to each side.

"Not bad…" He nodded in satisfaction.

Biting his bottom lip, the shark couldn't help but wonder if Alfred would accept it. It had teeth on it just like every shark's jewelry, but he had decided to incorporate a shell into it since mer-people seemed to like shells. He had used the shell he was wearing when he first met Alfred because that was his favorite shell. It was red like his eyes and stood out against his white hair. But not Gilbert had a new favorite shell.

He absentmindedly touched the sky-blue shell pinning some of his side bangs back. The shell that reminded him of Alfred's eyes and his tail, yes, that was his new favorite. Though his kind didn't exactly care for shells, he would care for this shell as if it were a bone-pin. It was given to him by Alfred, the fish attempting to court him. Even if the shell tactic didn't work, he still liked the gift. Though he did kind of ignore all the other gifts Alfred had given him before he had started using shark mating tactics, Gilbert refused to toss out this special shell.

After an hour of working nonstop to string the items together, he was finally finished. Holding it out at arm's length, he took a moment to admire his work. Gilbert imagined how it would look on Alfred, the teeth and shell resting just at the base of his collarbone. It would give him a powerful appearance. Sharks would know that he had connections with another shark thanks to this piece of jewelry. Sharks could tell if a shark made something, it was simply instinct. That was how they told if it was authentic or not.

Nodding his head in satisfaction, Gilbert gripped the necklace tightly as he swam out of the secret sanctuary and into open waters. He swam to the beach, expecting to see Alfred either basking in the sand or on the surface. Yet when he could not find the Mer-prince anywhere, he frowned.

"That idiot had better not have gone to see the sharks again." He scowled, slowly floating down into the sandy bed and sitting there. He crossed his arms over his chest and huffed in annoyance. "He'd better hurry it up! It's so unawesome to just sit here like a silly mermaid and wait for him."

Thankfully Alfred arrived only five minutes later, not at all taking as long as Gilbert expected him to. Though he was highly curious as to why he was wearing his weapons and coming from the direction of the city. He swam towards him, meeting Alfred halfway. He was breathing hard, gulping at the water and trying to steady his breathing.

"H-hey!" He panted, giving a small grin to Gilbert.

"What were you doing in the city?" Gilbert asked, a brow raised. Before Alfred could say anything the albino shook his head and waved his hand in dismissal. "You know what, never mind I don't care. Here, this is for you."

With that he held the necklace out to Alfred, blushing lightly though not taking his eyes off the merman. If he showed displeasure in the gift in anyway, Gilbert would bite his throat out. There would be no hesitation either. Insulting Gilbert's handmade necklace was like insulting him, though it was worse since Alfred was courting him. Instead of disgust flashing through Alfred's eyes at the sight of the teeth, they instead showed utter awe and excitement.

"You made a necklace for me?" He gasped happily.

Gilbert huffed, trying to appear aloof. "So what if I did? You want it or not?"

"I want it!" Alfred nodded his head eagerly.

Gilbert untied it, moving to put the necklace on but paused. He narrowed his eyes at the necklace already hanging around Alfred's neck. Following his gaze, Alfred looked down at the white crystal he had gotten from the princess. He had almost forgotten he had the thing on.

Looking back up at Gilbert, he could see the annoyance on his face. Quickly reaching behind his neck, Alfred untied the necklace and stuffed it into his bag. His neck now belonged to Gilbert's gift. He'd give the princess her gift back once they returned to the castle.

That familiar cocky smirk pulled at Gilbert's lips. He swam closer, reaching around and tying the necklace to fit Alfred. The jewelry rested against Alfred's collarbone, just as Gilbert predicted. He swam back a bit, looking Alfred up and down as he examined his work on the actual fish.

"Not bad. The shell contrasts to your tail, but not in a bad way." He grinned, hands on his hips.

Alfred looked down at the necklace, lifting it up so he could get a better look. He whistled his appreciation, grinning. "This is so cool!"

Gilbert snorted, puffing his chest out proudly. "No duh it is! I made it!" He let loose a cackle, making Alfred chuckle lightly.

"Thanks, I love it." He smiled at the other.

Gilbert suddenly stopped laughing, looking at Alfred expectantly. "Well?"

Alfred tilted his head to the side, "Well?" He echoed.

"Don't you have something to ask me?"

"Something to ask…?" Alfred's brows drew together in confusion, was he supposed to ask something?

The shark's smile turned into a frown, his expression twisting into another annoyed glare. Before he could voice his complaints, Alfred suddenly gasped.

"Oh! I remember! I remember!" He shouted, quickly grabbing Gilbert's hands. He was blushing brightly, never having asked out another fish before. Even if he was an attractive Merman, he had promised to save his first everything for his mate. Though… Gilbert kind of did steal his first kiss…

"Gilbert, would you like to go on a Night Hunt with me?" He asked earnestly, his eyes burning with hope.

The albino hummed in thought, actually acting as if he was going to refuse. Though he knew he'd say yes, there was nothing saying he couldn't mess with the prince a bit. "I don't know; that's a pretty bold question." He sang, smirking at the frantic expression that crossed Alfred's face.

"Oh please! I promise I won't be dead weight! I know I'm not good at seeing things in the dark, but I'll really try! Please!" His grip tightened on Gilbert's hands, but not in an uncomfortable way.

Blowing out bubbles and sighing as if it was a chore, Gilbert hummed once again. "I might say yes… If… you can catch me dinner before sunset."

He had not been expecting Alfred to reach into his satchel and pull out a Blue-Striped Snapper.

"I win." The male said all too cheerily. Gilbert scowled at him, huffing in indignation.

"So you did. Well fine then. We'll head towards the sunken ships for the night hunt. Be prepared by sunset." He said, taking the fish and bringing it up to sink his teeth into. Gilbert then turned and swam away, the fish clamped firmly in his jaws.

Alfred chuckled, shaking his head and smiling. "You're welcome!" He called after the other, not really caring that Gilbert didn't say thank you. The necklace made up for any rudeness the other threw at him.

He put his satchel back in his secret spot, going to their clam pile and getting a few for his meal. Even though he was growing a little sick of eating nothing but oysters and clams, he just didn't have the resources to make an extravagant meal with coral or anything else. Disappointedly, Alfred ate his meal. He could see the tip of Gilbert's tail sticking in the water near a bed of rocks. It was Gilbert's favorite rocks, they were always in line with the sun and dropped off into deeper water in case he needed to make a quick escape.

When Alfred was done with his meal, Gilbert slipped back into the water and glanced at him. "Prepare yourself for the hunt. Bring a blade, anything else will just be useless. No arrows, you'll just keep missing."

Alfred nodded, going back to his satchel and depositing his bow and arrows in the little cave. He then dug through his bag and pulled out his dagger, fitting its sheath around his waist. He swam back to Gilbert, the shark armed with the beautiful blade Alfred made him. It didn't take a scholar to know that Gilbert adored the blade. On more than one occasion Alfred saw the male cleaning it. It made him immensely happy to see the other care so much for the gift.

"Ready to go?" He asked, smiling at Alfred.

Looking up at the surface of the water, he tilted his head slightly. "It's not sunset yet."

"Well that just gives us extra time to mess around, doesn't it?" Gilbert purred at Alfred over his shoulder, the white shark already swimming towards the shark territory.

The prince perked up at that, swimming after the other. He rather liked that idea. "We're going into shark territory?" He asked instead of voicing his delight at the prospect of "_messing around_".

"We're going around the already owned territory, but yes, we're going through territory." Gilbert informed.

"Already owned? How can you tell if it's owned or not?" Alfred frowned. How Mer-people showed their territory was owned was by littering their shed scales along the border. No scale was the same so it was easy to tell who owned it and who didn't.

Gilbert nodded, "Yep, already owned. How sharks mark their territory is by clawing at rocks and marking them. Owned territory is shown by the markings. Each pack has a different marking. My tribe's marking was a cross."

"That's pretty cool! I'd like to see your tribe's mark." Alfred grinned, swimming by Gilbert's side.

Gilbert raised a brow, smirking at him. "I'll show you sometime. I'll scratch it into a rock."

Alfred didn't care that it might just look like a normal cross, it was a symbol that was important to Gilbert therefore it was important to him. Alfred was beginning to no longer care about his original plan. Spending almost all of his time trying to please and court Gilbert actually prevented Alfred from thinking about how he started courting Gilbert with the intention of using him. The fact that he needed Gilbert to escape his forced marriage and to avoid killing the albino was pushed to the back of his mind.

The two swam in a different direction than when Alfred went searching for sharks. As they went deeper and deeper, Alfred began dipping down and swimming up out of boredom. Gilbert soon got annoyed when Alfred started spinning in circles like a dolphin. The moment he barrelled into Gilbert, the albino 'tsked' and smacked the back of Alfred's head. The Merman yelped, stopping in his movement to hold his throbbing head.

"That's it. We'll go the rest of the way at sundown. We can stay there till then." He pointed to a cave made from a wall.

Swimming over to it, Gilbert noted the appealing aspects of it. The cave had a flat solid roof over it along with a flat bottom. There was soft sand coating the inside, the perfect usage for a bed. It went back a bit, enough space further in for around 3 full-grown fish-people to curl up. The roof was high enough so it wouldn't hit his head if he sat up. He slid in, crawling to the back and looking around the cave for any signs that it was currently in use. When he found none, Gilbert slid to the front of the den and grinned at Alfred.

"Well come on." He sunk back inside, the blue-tailed man following obediently.

He hesitated at the entrance, watching Gilbert relax on his stomach with his arms crossed underneath his chin as a makeshift pillow. He swam inside, moving towards the back with Gilbert. He settled next to the other, noticing Gilbert had deposited his blade in a corner of the cave. Removing his, Alfred set the sheathed dagger next to Gilbert's before relaxing completely.

"This'd make a nice cave to live in. It's nice and comfortable, plus it's in an unmarked territory. It'd be the perfect place for mates not wanting to associate with other sharks." Gilbert sighed, his entire body relaxed. Alfred wondered if there was a hidden suggestion in the shark's choice of words. Whether there was or wasn't never got answered however.

He scooted closer to Gilbert, "I admit, it wouldn't be half bad. Just needs more life around it. I'd rather live near a reef. They have nice caves there and it's real beautiful in the mild-water season."

Gilbert turned his head to observe the other in a casual manner. "Oh? I've never been to a reef before. Usually because sharks aren't welcome."

Alfred reached out a hand to brush against Gilbert's cheek. "Well just stick with me and I'll take you there one day. As long as I'm with you, there's no way you won't be allowed to stay."

The shark chuckled, leaning in to Alfred's touch. "Is that so? I can't wait then."

Alfred hesitated, leaning in towards Gilbert slowly. When the other gave no sign of resistance, Alfred continued his decent and gently captured Gilbert's lips. It was a sweet and chaste kiss, nothing heated and flooding with lust. Alfred drew back till he and Gilbert's noses were brushing against each other. Their eyes connected and when Gilbert let his eyes flutter close, Alfred moved to take those lips once again.

This time their lips met with more fervour, Alfred easily winning dominance. He used the hand cupping Gilbert's cheek to gently pull his chin down, parting his lips. Even though Alfred wasn't all that experienced, he simply went with instinct and instinct was telling him to deepen the kiss. Alfred's tongue slipped between Gilbert's lips, meeting the other's velvety muscle and beginning a dance with it.

Gilbert let out a pleased moan that sent shivers down Alfred's spine. He shifted so he was leaning over Gilbert, their tongues still tangled and their kiss growing hotter by the second. His tail brushed against Gilbert's and Alfred risked it. He moved so his scaly limb wrapped around the shark's, linking their tails together. The other didn't give any resistance, his tail actually moving to join Alfred in the winding. Gilbert slipped his arms around Alfred's neck and kissed him back with equal passion, his teeth grazing against the young prince's tongue in the most sensual of ways.

Removing himself from Gilbert's lips, Alfred let his own trail down the side of Gilbert's jaw and towards his neck. Remember the little fact he learned from the other sharks, Alfred let his tongue trail near the start of Gilbert's gills. He jolted against Alfred, practically rutting against him.

"Ah!" He gasped out in shock.

Alfred, surprised by the response, leaned back to look at the other. Gilbert shared an equally strong blush with Alfred, the elder of the two scowling in flustered annoyance.

"Keep away from my gills if you don't want to get bit." He threatened with a soft growl.

Smiling innocently, Alfred lowered his head to nuzzle the crevice of Gilbert's neck.

"Aw, but you responded so well." He chuckled. To express his delight at the reaction he got from Gilbert, Alfred once again moved towards his gills. However, this time he gave a small nip.

"Hn!" Gilbert jumped once again, his grip around Alfred's neck tightening. Blowing out bubbles in agitation, Gilbert hit the back of Alfred's head. "Dummkopf! I said to keep away from my gills!"

"But they're so fun to tease! You give such nice sounds when I play with them." Alfred practically purred, wondering where this boldness came from. He was suddenly filled with the urge to dominate the shark.

Before he got the chance to however, Gilbert suddenly nudged him. He was looking outside the cave, the water was turning a light orange. It signalled the setting sun and that it was time for them to continue moving.

"Alright. Let's get going." Gilbert grunted.

Alfred almost cursed the sun as he unwound their tails and got off of Gilbert. He reattached his blade around his waist, all the while pouting profusely. If only he could stay here with Gilbert and go further in his exploration of the other's sensitive spots. However, that would ruin everything Alfred had set up so far. Before he could mate with Gilbert, he needed to be able to accomplish something during this hunt and he also needed Gilbert to fall asleep on him. Even though there were only two steps till Alfred could claim the white shark, how long would it take before he could finally mate with the other?

They swam in a comfortable silent, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Gilbert was trying to calm his fluttering heart, the organ refusing to back down in its erratic beating. The giddy excitement shooting through his veins made him feel like a young pup. It was the raw excitement he had when he had gotten his first crush. Though it was quickly beaten down, the feeling was still the same only stronger. Gilbert also didn't have the fear of being disappointed, his feelings were being returned.

They came upon the ship graveyard just as the last rays of sunlight were disappearing. Gilbert looked around, contemplating where they could start the hunt. There were usually good things hiding in the broken ships. Who knew what they'd find. Maybe they'd find human skeletons, maybe they'd find some jewels Alfred could keep or Gilbert could sell, and maybe, just maybe, they could find good fish.

"Let's find an old ship. The older the better." He informed, swimming down into the flat land laden with wrecked ships.

Alfred looked around, quite surprised how the sea just seemed to drop down and settle on the land. How did all the ships land here? The rocks surrounding them before the drop off weren't tall enough to scrape the bottom. Just what caused them to sink!?

"It doesn't make sense on how they sink in such a clear patch of sea." Alfred mused out loud, following Gilbert over the edge and swimming straight down.

Gilbert smirked, not taking his eyes off the wreckage in front of him. "They say it's from a curse an old Siren put on these waters. She fell in love with a young cabin boy from a ship. Since this is so close to an island, they would dock there. Every night she would rise to the surface and sing to the cabin boy. Whenever someone tried to find the source of the lovely voice, she would run away. Relentlessly night after night she would try to get his attention, yet it was always someone else beating her to it.

"Until one night when they were getting ready to set sail, he had spotted her. She tried to coax him in the water, telling him she loved him and that he had captured her heart. However, humans had woven stories about Sirens, saying that their song would drive a man to jump overboard and drown himself. They also said that Sirens ate the flesh of man. So of course the cabin boy screamed in fear. He pointed her out to the captain and they readied their guns. The poor Siren only wished to be with her love and he turns guns on her instead of taking a leap of faith and seeing if the stories were true or not." Gilbert spoke as they swam, instantly captivating Alfred's attention. The Merman always did like stories, this one, however, was new to him.

"That's so sad…" Alfred frowned, pity for the "_Siren_" creeping into his chest. He had no clue what a Siren was. He had seen their names here and there in books, but there was never clear information on them.

Gilbert nodded and continued, "Though she tried to swim away, they had managed to shoot her in the tail a good amount of times. It became hard for her to swim so she could only float there. As they tried dragging her onto the ship with their hooks and nets, she laid a curse on their ship and the waters where her blood had Day after day Alfred awaited the gift from Gilbert. And night after night he was disappointed once more. For a good week, Gilbert didn't bring Alfred a gift. They still hunted food for each other, Gilbert getting lunch for the two. He had even started a pile of clams and oysters when they wanted something to snack on. Alfred was beginning to worry, did Gilbert not like his gift? Or was the food Gilbert caught supposed to be his gift? Should he just come out and ask the other to go on a Night Hunt?

No, I can't do that! It'll probably mess everything I've already achieved! Who knows when if I'll ever get this far again! Alfred wailed to himself.

While Alfred was having an inner turmoil, Gilbert was actually spending his time doing something he found to be quite important. He was in the hidden body of water inside the volcano, the albino busy working on something special. Gilbert had noticed Alfred was courting him the moment he had started to randomly hunt for the shark. His suspicions were confirmed when Alfred had given him the beautiful blade.

How the prince learned of Shark mating rituals bothered the male. He didn't learn it from Gilbert, plus he was asking a lot of information on the shark territory and how to show he meant no harm. Quickly assuming that Alfred went directly to the sharks in order to ask, he couldn't help but admire the courage and bravery Alfred showed. He went into shark territory just to learn how to court Gilbert, how could he not be impressed? And the weapon! It cut through fish like butter and he was positive it might've been sharper than his teeth. Not to mention it was made from an old creature. If there was one thing sharks loved, it was ancient bones.

The shark was currently setting out a collection of nice looking fish bones. He was trying to decide which ones looked better when placed beside the red shell he had pinned in his hair the first time he met Alfred. The reason as to why he was going through so much effort? It was because he was making a gift for Alfred; which was proving to be quite a difficult task.

"Come on! These bones are so unawesome! It's gotta be perfect. Not too big and seriously not too small. No way am I giving Alfred such flimsy bones!" He ground his teeth together in frustration, letting out a soft growl.

Tossing the bones over his shoulder, the albino began searching through the pile of bones he had. For the past few days he had been collecting the bones form his meal, wanting the perfect pair for the Merman. Scowling, Gilbert began tossing the bones over his shoulder.

"No. No way. Lame. Not even if I was trapped in the darkest pits of Tartarus." He grumbled out as he sorted through the bones.

After a good five minutes of searching, Gilbert let out a growl of frustration. "Damn it!" He smashed his tail into the pile of bones, scattering them around the water. "If I was back home then I could go through my awesome stash of bones! I had a large supply of them too!"

He crossed his arms over his chest and blew a large amount of annoyed bubbles. Scowling, the male continued to talk to himself. "I was only able to take three of my bone necklaces!" He lifted up the piece of jewellery around his neck, frowning down at this one. "There's the one my father made me, the one my brother made, and the one I made…"

Gilbert tilted his head, "I have good bones on the one I made…" He suddenly gasped and quickly bolted out of the cave, swimming out into open waters and towards the shore. He hit himself in the forehead, snorting. "Duh! I'll just use the bones off of that one! They're Turtle-Dragon's teeth!"

Turtle-Dragon's, or as humans called them, Tylosaurus, were a rather common find in shark territory. However, not many sharks found a full set of teeth. Usually only one or two fangs were found, the rest having been plunked away and consumed by the creatures that ate teeth. When Gilbert was a young pup, he had stumbled upon a skeleton that was being consumed by bottom feeders. After chasing them away, he managed to pluck a total of four teeth, each in great condition for being old relics. So he had made a necklace out of it, wearing the fangs proudly.

Gilbert shot past a snoozing Alfred, the force of the water thanks to Gilbert's speed caused the male to actually flip on his side. He shot up, looking around wildly. Alfred caught a glimpse of the white tail disappearing above the surface, its owner dragging himself out and onto the beach. Swimming up to the surface, Alfred poked his head out and drew his brows together in confusion.

"Hey Gilbert, where's the tsunami?" He called out to the other.

Gilbert was too busy sitting near his secret hole of clothes and junk, digging in a tattered bag made of seal skin. He grunted instead, not looking at Alfred as he continued in his search. Upon spotting the piece of jewellery, he let out a cry of triumph and held it up in the air.

"Found it!" Putting the string holding it together in his mouth, Gilbert turned around and began clawing his way back down the beach and into the water.

"Er… found what?" Alfred asked, slipping under the waves when Gilbert dived down.

"None of your business!" Gilbert snapped, sticking his tongue out at Alfred as he swam back towards the island.

Alfred tried to hold in a retort, letting out a frustrated sigh. "Keep it together Alfie… Feliciano and Lovino said he'd get real touchy and such when being courted. It'll be fine." He whispered, trying to reassure himself.

Gilbert returned to the beach around lunch time, a rockfish for him and a large pile of clams for Alfred. They ate on a rock, both males wanting to bask in the sunlight for a while. Afterwards Gilbert disappeared back in the water-filled volcano. Alfred felt quite lonely with nothing to do. He was currently sitting on a rock, digesting his recent meal.

"Hmm… What can I do…?" He furrowed his brows as he thought up some ways to escape his boredom. "I need a new jar… Broke the last one…" He grimaced when remembering the giant octopus.

Glancing in the direction where the secret bed of water was, Alfred turned his focus towards where the city was. "I can make it there and back before Gilbert notices I'm gone… right?" He glanced back and forth for a few more seconds before swimming to where he hid his satchel and weapons.

"It'll be fine," He told himself. "I'll even pick up some fish for Gilbert on the way back! He can have something other than rockfish for dinner."

With his mind set, Alfred swam off. While he headed towards the city, Gilbert was busy taking apart his handmade necklace and fixing up the teeth. The albino wanted to make them look nice and cool when combined with the red shell. After setting it up on how he wanted it to be stringed, Gilbert took a moment to give it a quick once over. He had the red shell in the middle, two teeth to each side.

"Not bad…" He nodded in satisfaction.

Biting his bottom lip, the shark couldn't help but wonder if Alfred would accept it. It had teeth on it just like every shark's jewellery, but he had decided to incorporate a shell into it since Mer-people seemed to like shells. He had used the shell he was wearing when he first met Alfred because that was his favourite shell. It was red like his eyes and stood out against his white hair. But not Gilbert had a new favourite shell.

He absentmindedly touched the sky-blue shell pinning some of his side bangs back. The shell that reminded him of Alfred's eyes and his tail, yes, that was his new favourite. Though his kind didn't exactly care for shells, he would care for this shell as if it were a bone-pin. It was given to him by Alfred, the fish attempting to court him. Even if the shell tactic didn't work, he still liked the gift. Though he did kind of ignore all the other gifts Alfred had given him before he had started using shark mating tactics, Gilbert refused to toss out this special shell.

After an hour of working nonstop to string the items together, he was finally finished. Holding it out at arm's length, he took a moment to admire his work. Gilbert imagined how it would look on Alfred, the teeth and shell resting just at the base of his collarbone. It would give him a powerful appearance. Sharks would know that he had connections with another shark thanks to this piece of jewellery. Sharks could tell if a shark made something, it was simply instinct. That was how they told if it was authentic or not.

Nodding his head in satisfaction, Gilbert gripped the necklace tightly as he swam out of the secret sanctuary and into open waters. He swam to the beach, expecting to see Alfred either basking in the sand or on the surface. Yet when he could not find the Mer prince anywhere, he frowned.

"That idiot had better not have gone to see the sharks again." He scowled, slowly floating down into the sandy bed and sitting there. He crossed his arms over his chest and huffed in annoyance. "He'd better hurry it up! It's so unawesome to just sit here like a silly Mermaid and wait for him."

Thankfully Alfred arrived only five minutes later, not at all taking as long as Gilbert expected him to. Though he was highly curious as to why he was wearing his weapons and coming from the direction of the city. He swam towards him, meeting Alfred halfway. He was breathing hard, gulping at the water and trying to steady his breathing.

"H-hey!" He panted, giving a small grin to Gilbert.

"What were you doing in the city?" Gilbert asked, a brow raised. Before Alfred could say anything the albino shook his head and waved his hand in dismissal. "You know what, never mind I don't care. Here, this is for you."

With that he held the necklace out to Alfred, blushing lightly though not taking his eyes off the Mermaid. If he showed displeasure in the gift in anyway, Gilbert would bite his throat out. There would be no hesitation either. Insulting Gilbert's handmade necklace was like insulting him, though it was worse since Alfred was courting him. Instead of disgust flashing through Alfred's eyes at the sight of the teeth, they instead showed utter awe and excitement.

"You made a necklace for me?" He gasped happily.

Gilbert huffed, trying to appear aloof. "So what if I did? You want it or not?"

"I want it!" Alfred nodded his head eagerly.

Gilbert untied it, moving to put the necklace on but paused. He narrowed his eyes at the necklace already hanging around Alfred's neck. Following his gaze, Alfred looked down at the white crystal he had gotten from the princess. He had almost forgotten he had the thing on.

Looking back up at Gilbert, he could see the annoyance on his face. Quickly reaching behind his neck, Alfred untied the necklace and stuffed it into his bag. His neck now belonged to Gilbert's gift. He'd give the princess her gift back once they returned to the castle.

That familiar cocky smirk pulled at Gilbert's lips. He swam closer, reaching around and tying the necklace to fit Alfred. The jewellery rested against Alfred's collarbone, just as Gilbert predicted. He swam back a bit, looking Alfred up and down as he examined his work on the actual fish.

"Not bad. The shell contrasts to your tail, but not in a bad way." He grinned, hands on his hips.

Alfred looked down at the necklace, lifting it up so he could get a better look. He whistled his appreciation, grinning. "This is so cool!"

Gilbert snorted, puffing his chest out proudly. "No duh it is! I made it!" He let loose a cackle, making Alfred chuckle lightly.

"Thanks, I love it." He smiled at the other.

Gilbert suddenly stopped laughing, looking at Alfred expectantly. "Well?"

Alfred tilted his head to the side, "Well?" He echoed.

"Don't you have something to ask me?"

"Something to ask…?" Alfred's brows drew together in confusion, was he supposed to ask something?

The shark's smile turned into a frown, his expression twisting into another annoyed glare. Before he could voice his complaints, Alfred suddenly gasped.

"Oh! I remember! I remember!" He shouted, quickly grabbing Gilbert's hands. He was blushing brightly, never having asked out another fish before. Even if he was an attractive Merman, he had promised to save his first everything for his mate. Though… Gilbert kind of did steal his first kiss…

"Gilbert, would you like to go on a Night Hunt with me?" He asked earnestly, his eyes burning with hope.

The albino hummed in thought, actually acting as if he was going to refuse. Though he knew he'd say yes, there was nothing saying he couldn't mess with the prince a bit. "I don't know; that's a pretty bold question." He sang, smirking at the frantic expression that crossed Alfred's face.

"Oh please! I promise I won't be dead weight! I know I'm not good at seeing things in the dark, but I'll really try! Please!" His grip tightened on Gilbert's hands, but not in an uncomfortable way.

Blowing out bubbles and sighing as if it was a chore, Gilbert hummed once again. "I might say yes… If… you can catch me dinner before sunset."

He had not been expecting Alfred to reach into his satchel and pull out a Blue-Striped Snapper.

"I win." The male said all too cheerily. Gilbert scowled at him, huffing in indignation.

"So you did. Well fine then. We'll head towards the sunken ships for the night hunt. Be prepared by sunset." He said, taking the fish and bringing it up to sink his teeth into. Gilbert then turned and swam away, the fish clamped firmly in his jaws.

Alfred chuckled, shaking his head and smiling. "You're welcome!" He called after the other, not really caring that Gilbert didn't say thank you. The necklace made up for any rudeness the other threw at him.

He put his satchel back in his secret spot, going to their clam pile and getting a few for his meal. Even though he was growing a little sick of eating nothing but oysters and clams, he just didn't have the resources to make an extravagant meal with coral or anything else. Disappointedly, Alfred ate his meal. He could see the tip of Gilbert's tail sticking in the water near a bed of rocks. It was Gilbert's favourite rocks, they were always in line with the sun and dropped off into deeper water in case he needed to make a quick escape.

When Alfred was done with his meal, Gilbert slipped back into the water and glanced at him. "Prepare yourself for the hunt. Bring a blade, anything else will just be useless. No arrows, you'll just keep missing."

Alfred nodded, going back to his satchel and depositing his bow and arrows in the little cave. He then dug through his bag and pulled out his dagger, fitting its sheath around his waist. He swam back to Gilbert, the shark armed with the beautiful blade Alfred made him. It didn't take a scholar to know that Gilbert adored the blade. On more than one occasion Alfred saw the male cleaning it. It made him immensely happy to see the other care so much for the gift.

"Ready to go?" He asked, smiling at Alfred.

Looking up at the surface of the water, he tilted his head slightly. "It's not sunset yet."

"Well that just gives us extra time to mess around, doesn't it?" Gilbert purred at Alfred over his shoulder, the white shark already swimming towards the shark territory.

The prince perked up at that, swimming after the other. He rather liked that idea. "We're going into shark territory?" He asked instead of voicing his delight at the prospect of "messing around".

"We're going around the already owned territory, but yes, we're going through territory." Gilbert informed.

"Already owned? How can you tell if it's owned or not?" Alfred frowned. How Mer-people showed their territory was owned was by littering their shed scales along the border. No scale was the same so it was easy to tell who owned it and who didn't.

Gilbert nodded, "Yep, already owned. How sharks mark their territory is by clawing at rocks and marking them. Owned territory is shown by the markings. Each pack has a different marking. My tribe's marking was a cross."

"That's pretty cool! I'd like to see your tribe's mark." Alfred grinned, swimming by Gilbert's side.

Gilbert raised a brow, smirking at him. "I'll show ya sometime. I'll scratch it into a rock."

Alfred didn't care that it might just look like a normal cross, it was a symbol that was important to Gilbert therefore it was important to him. Alfred was beginning to no longer care about his original plan. Spending almost all of his time trying to please and court Gilbert actually prevented Alfred from thinking about how he started courting Gilbert with the intention of using him. The fact that he needed Gilbert to escape his forced marriage and to avoid killing the albino was pushed to the back of his mind.

The two swam in a different direction than when Alfred went searching for sharks. As they went deeper and deeper, Alfred began dipping down and swimming up out of boredom. Gilbert soon got annoyed when Alfred started spinning in circles like a dolphin. The moment he barrelled into Gilbert, the albino 'tsked' and smacked the back of Alfred's head. The Merman yelped, stopping in his movement to hold his throbbing head.

"That's it. We'll go the rest of the way at sundown. We can stay there till then." He pointed to a cave made from a wall.

Swimming over to it, Gilbert noted the appealing aspects of it. The cave had a flat solid roof over it along with a flat bottom. There was soft sand coating the inside, the perfect usage for a bed. It went back a bit, enough space further in for around 3 full-grown fish-people to curl up. The roof was high enough so it wouldn't hit his head if he sat up. He slid in, crawling to the back and looking around the cave for any signs that it was currently in use. When he found none, Gilbert slid to the front of the den and grinned at Alfred.

"Well come on." He sunk back inside, the blue-tailed man following obediently.

He hesitated at the entrance, watching Gilbert relax on his stomach with his arms crossed underneath his chin as a makeshift pillow. He swam inside, moving towards the back with Gilbert. He settled next to the other, noticing Gilbert had deposited his blade in a corner of the cave. Removing his, Alfred set the sheathed dagger next to Gilberts before relaxing completely.

"This'd make a nice cave to live in. It's nice and comfortable, plus it's in an unmarked territory. It'd be the perfect place for mates not wanting to associate with other sharks." Gilbert sighed, his entire body relaxed. Alfred wondered if there was a hidden suggestion in the shark's choice of words. Whether there was or wasn't never got answered however.

He scooted closer to Gilbert, "I admit, it wouldn't be half bad. Just needs more life around it. I'd rather live near a reef. They have nice caves there and it's real beautiful in the mild-water season."

Gilbert turned his head to observe the other in a casual manner. "Oh? I've never been to a reef before. Usually because sharks aren't welcome."

Alfred reached out a hand to brush against Gilbert's cheek. "Well just stick with me and I'll take you there one day. As long as I'm with you, there's no way you won't be allowed to stay."

The shark chuckled, leaning in to Alfred's touch. "Is that so? I can't wait then."

Alfred hesitated, leaning in towards Gilbert slowly. When the other gave no sign of resistance, Alfred continued his decent and gently captured Gilbert's lips. It was a sweet and chaste kiss, nothing heated and flooding with lust. Alfred drew back till he and Gilbert's noses were brushing against each other. Their eyes connected and when Gilbert let his eyes flutter close, Alfred moved to take those lips once again.

This time their lips met with more fervour, Alfred easily winning dominance. He used the hand cupping Gilbert's cheek to gently pull his chin down, parting his lips. Even though Alfred wasn't all that experienced, he simply went with instinct and instinct was telling him to deepen the kiss. Alfred's tongue slipped between Gilbert's lips, meeting the other's velvety muscle and beginning a dance with it.

Gilbert let out a pleased moan that sent shivers down Alfred's spine. He shifted so he was leaning over Gilbert, their tongues still entertained and their kiss growing hotter by the second. His tail brushed against Gilbert's and Alfred risked it. He moved so his scaly limb wrapped around the shark's, linking their tails together. The other didn't give any resistance, his tail actually moving to join Alfred in the winding. He slipped his arms around Alfred's neck and kissed him back with equal passion, his teeth grazing against the young prince's tongue in the most sensual of ways.

Removing himself from Gilbert's lips, Alfred let his own trail down the side of Gilbert's jaw and towards his neck. Remember the little fact he learned from the other sharks, Alfred let his tongue trail near the start of Gilbert's gills. He jolted against Alfred, practically rutting against him.

"Ah!" He gasped out in shock.

Alfred, surprised by the response, leaned back to look at the other. Gilbert shared an equally strong blush with Alfred, the elder scowling at Alfred.

"Keep away from my gills if you don't want to get bit." He threatened with a soft growl.

Smiling innocently, Alfred lowered his head to nuzzle the crevice of his neck. "Aw, but you responded so well." He chuckled. To express his delight at the reaction he got from Gilbert, Alfred once again moved towards his gills. However, this time he gave a small nip.

"Hn!" Gilbert jumped once again, his grip around Alfred's neck tightening. Blowing out bubbles in agitation, Gilbert hit the back of Alfred's head. "Dummkopf! I said to keep away from my gills!"

"But they're so fun to tease! You give such nice sounds when I play with them." Alfred practically purred, wondering where this boldness came from. He was suddenly filled with the urge to dominate the shark.

Before he got the chance to however, Gilbert suddenly nudged him. He was looking outside the cave, the water was turning a light orange. It signaled the setting sun and that it was time for them to continue moving.

"Alright. Let's get going." Gilbert grunted.

Alfred almost cursed the sun as he unwound their tails and got off of Gilbert. He reattached his blade around his waist, all the while pouting profusely. If only he could stay here with Gilbert and go further in his exploration of the other's sensitive spots. However, that would ruin everything Alfred had set up so far. Before he could mate with Gilbert, he needed to be able to accomplish something during this hunt and he also needed Gilbert to fall asleep on him. Even though there were only two steps till Alfred could claim the white shark, how long would it take before he could finally mate with the other?

They swam in a comfortable silent, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Gilbert was trying to calm his fluttering heart, the organ refusing to back down in its erratic beating. The giddy excitement shooting through his veins made him feel like a young pup. It was the raw excitement he had when he had gotten his first crush. Though it was quickly beaten down, the feeling was still the same only stronger. Gilbert also didn't have the fear of being disappointed, his feelings were being returned.

They came upon the ship graveyard just as the last rays of sunlight were disappearing. Gilbert looked around, contemplating where they could start the hunt. There were usually good things hiding in the broken ships. Who knew what they'd find. Maybe they'd find human skeletons, maybe they'd find some jewels Alfred could keep or Gilbert could sell, and maybe, just maybe, they could find good fish.

"Let's find an old ship. The older the better." He informed, swimming down into the flat land laden with wrecked ships.

Alfred looked around, quite surprised how the sea just seemed to drop down and settle on the land. How did all the ships land here? The rocks surrounding them before the drop off weren't tall enough to scrape the bottom. Just what caused them to sink!?

"It doesn't make sense on how they sink in such a clear patch of sea." Alfred mused out loud, following Gilbert over the edge and swimming straight down.

Gilbert smirked, not taking his eyes off the wreckage in front of him. "They say it's from a curse an old Siren put on these waters. She fell in love with a young cabin boy from a ship. Since this is so close to an island, they would dock there. Every night she would rise to the surface and sing to the cabin boy. Whenever someone tried to find the source of the lovely voice, she would run away. Relentlessly night after night she would try to get his attention, yet it was always someone else beating her to it.

"Until one night when they were getting ready to set sail, he had spotted her. She tried to coax him in the water, telling him she loved him and that he had captured her heart. However, humans had woven stories about Sirens, saying that their song would drive a man to jump overboard and drown himself. They also said that Sirens ate the flesh of man. So of course the cabin boy screamed in fear. He pointed her out to the captain and they readied their guns. The poor Siren only wished to be with her love and he turns guns on her instead of taking a leap of faith and seeing if the stories were true or not." Gilbert spoke as they swam, instantly captivating Alfred's attention. The Merman always did like stories, this one, however, was new to him.

"That's so sad…" Alfred frowned, pity for the "Siren" creeping into his chest. He had no clue what a Siren was. He had seen their names here and there in books, but there was never clear information on them.

Gilbert nodded and continued, "Though she tried to swim away, they had managed to shoot her in the tail a good amount of times. It became hard for her to swim so she could only float there. As they tried dragging her onto the ship with their hooks and nets, she laid a curse on their ship and the waters where her blood had spilt. She said, 'Let no two-leg sail freely over these waters. Where my blood is now one with the sea, so too shall your souls suffer the same fate as me.' And when they got her on deck she attacked them, fighting for her life."

"Did she live?" Alfred whispered, his eyes wide.

Gilbert frowned and shook his head, Alfred's hope for the unnamed Siren plummeting. "Nein, she died. After ripping apart a good portion of the crew, it was the cabin boy she fell in love with who put the bullet between her eyes. She died staring at him, probably feeling utterly betrayed. After that she fizzled up and turned into the creature she had always been a part of, a shark."

"That's a horrible thing he did. How could he? I mean… Wow…" Alfred paused, "And hold on, Sirens are sharks?"

Gilbert sucked on his teeth, letting out a small grunt. "Forgot, you're a Merman. You wouldn't know." Gilbert turned so he was swimming on his back, facing Alfred. "Sirens are what shark-people used to call themselves. Some of the old codfish's still do. Back then we had sharper, more serrated teeth. We also had longer claws and a shorter temper. Still, we looked as lovely as the freshest pearl, yet as deadly as a stinging coral."

"Wow… So when sharks die they turn into a shark?" Alfred asked curiously.

The shark before him nodded once in confirmation. "Yep. Our bodies change into the fish we were born into. For me I'll turn into a Tiger shark when I die, though an albino one anyways."

Alfred frowned lightly, "When Mer-people die, they turn into Sea Foam. We have nothing to change into."

"That's depressing."

Alfred's attention instantly perked at that. "How so?"

Gilbert hummed, rolling over so he was now swimming normally. "Well… Your loved ones won't have anything to remember you by then. Sure they'll have your possessions and crap, but what good are those? They aren't you and they can never replace you. The only good thing you'll have are the memories."

The young prince contemplated this before swimming closer to Gilbert, reaching out to slowly grasp his hand. "Memories aren't all bad… Wouldn't it be better to have the memories than have none at all?"

The white shark stopped in his swimming to look at Alfred. His brows were drawn together as he processed what Alfred had said. Gilbert then chuckled, shaking his head slowly. Reaching up, he brushed his hand against Alfred's cheek in a gentle and loving manner. Alfred, not rebuffing the contact, used his other hand to hold Gilbert's. He then turned his head and kissed the albino's palm.

"You're a very cheesy and romantic fish, you know that?" The shorter male snickered.

"I try." Alfred grinned against Gilbert's hand.

With a role of his eyes and an affectionate mutter of "idiot", they continued on in their hunt. They had stopped at a large abandoned ship named "The Britannia Angel". It's tattered, ancient pirate flag hanging limp in the lack of current. Gilbert whistled at the immense damage that tore up the side of the ship.

"Damn, this boat really took a beating." He hummed.

"Y-yeah…" Alfred mumbled, his eyes darting around the graveyard suspiciously.

Unaware of it, Gilbert grinned. "Let's go!"

He swam in through one of the large holes undoubtedly made by cannon fire. Alfred, albeit reluctantly, followed. They were instantly swallowed up by darkness and Alfred lost sight of the other male. His heartbeat began to grow erratic and the fear of what was lurking in the dark began to loom over Alfred's head. What kind of monster was here? What if there were ghosts of the dead crew flying around? When he felt Gilbert's hand on his chest, the male nearly jumped out of his scales.

"Hold on." Came the other's watery voice. "Let's give your eyes time to adjust. I don't want you running in to anything and I don't want you grabbing onto my tail like a three-year-old pup."

Alfred couldn't help the sly grin that pulled at his lips. His tail gently brushed Gilbert's and he could feel the other jolt at the sensation. "But I like touching your tail."

It was Alfred's turn to stiffen when he felt a blade pressed against his neck. "Now is not the time for fun and games brat. We're on a hunt, anything could happen. We could get attacked and we could not. It all depends on what's inside the ship. I don't want you holding onto my tail in case we do get attacked and we need to defend ourselves. Understand?"

"Loud and clear." Alfred quickly said, sighing in relief when Gilbert eased the blade from his neck.

"Good…" There was a pause before Alfred felt the albino's lips against his neck in a quick, apologetic peck. But they were gone soon after, the other still touching Alfred's chest to let him know he was still there. "How well can you see now?"

Alfred blinked a few times, "I can see your outline, but that's it."

Gilbert grunted, "You're like a pup, can't see clearly in the dark. Well come on, just floating around here won't do anything. Hopefully you'll be able to see better as we continue on."

Alfred nodded, hesitating before following Gilbert's moving form. He trusted the other to help him out. Gilbert may be rude and a little bit harsh with his criticism, but he meant well and he'd protect Alfred if need be.

"Careful, there's some large wood pieces up ahead." Gilbert informed, swimming to the side and underneath a massive pile of rubble.

Alfred reached out tentatively, feeling the wood and searching for the opening Gilbert had gone through. When he found it, the American looked around for Gilbert's shadowy form. He smiled in the darkness when the albino swam up closer and into his view.

"How far are we going down?" Alfred asked, resisting the urge to reach out and touch the other.

"All the way to the bottom of the ship. There's bound to be something interesting in the cargo hold. Come on, there's bound to be stairs leading down somewhere." He murmured, turning around and going off.

Going after him, Alfred was beginning to see better than before. While he still couldn't distinctly make out the details, he could see the shape and some of its details. In front of him he could see Gilbert's tail. Suddenly, light began filtering through the holes in the ship, bathing some parts in moonlight. Though in some parts it wasn't a lot, it still made Alfred watch in awe as Gilbert swam through them. His white scales and hair caught the moonlight and seemed to reflect it, giving his sleek form its own unearthly glow. He looked absolutely breath-taking; far more beautiful than any of the Mer-people Alfred had ever seen.

Shaking his head from those thoughts, he suddenly heard the sound of something scrapping on the wooden boards. He stopped, his body tense.

"Gilbert..." He hissed softly.

The other paused and looked over his shoulder at Alfred. "What?"

"Hear that?" Alfred swam a bit closer and the two fell into a silence as they listened.

There was that scraping again, but this time it sounded distant. Gilbert looked ahead of them, his eyes narrowing. He could see in the cover of night, being a shark gave such privileges. Though he could not make out anything alive. There was just an empty hall with broken wood, soaked paintings, and bits of human bone here and there. If he told Alfred they were swimming over the remains of dead pirates, the other would be sure to freak out. Not only would that ruin the hunt, it'd also be pretty unawesome of Gilbert to scare him like that.

"It's up ahead…" He mumbled. Gripping his blade tightly, Gilbert swam on.

Alfred, sticking close by, readied his knife in case something were to jump out. They stopped when they rounded the corner. The hall continued in front of them while to the left of them there was stairs leading down. Gilbert frowned slightly, from what he could see there were claw marks leading down the hall but nowhere near the entrance to the cargo hold. Whatever had made those scratching noises, it was further down the hall. Yet why was it avoiding the cargo hold? Could something else be down there that frightened the clawed creature?

Grinning, Gilbert chose the best option. He turned and went down into the cargo hold. He had always been one to go for the most challenging creature when hunting if only to prove himself stronger than others. He waited at the base of the stairs for Alfred, the other shaking lightly. Gilbert rolled his eyes, a pang of sympathy for the other. While he was pretty brave and courageous when he needed to be, anything spooky always turned the prince into a whimpering coward. Though Gilbert would deny finding it slightly cute, now was not the time to think of that.

"Be prepared for anything." Gilbert whispered to him softly.

Alfred looked at him and nodded, this time he took the lead and swam ahead of the other cautiously. Gilbert glanced over their surroundings, his eyes narrowed. Something was wrong. He would see weird shapes surrounding them, but when he took a second look they disappeared. He slowly reached out a hand to stop Alfred in case they got attacked.

"Alfred, hold on a–!" He was cut off when Alfred brushed against something and let out a horrified gasp.

"Oh gross! What is that!?" He cried out.

Gilbert, wielding his blade, was instantly at the other's side. However, something suddenly pulsed next to where the American touched. It then started to glow a hazy white light before it quickly altered into a rather intense shade of electric blue. Alfred jolted, bumping into Gilbert with a small yelp.

Like a domino effect, the moment the creature lit up all the others around it began lighting up in shades of sky blue, electric blue, white, and light purple. Alfred gasped in awe as the entire cargo hold light up with the beautiful creatures. His eyes wide, Alfred turned around in a complete circle to observe them all. Gilbert was quite shocked at the warm glow that now filled the room, patches of black still sprouting here and there.

"What are they?" Alfred whispered, completely mesmerized.

Gilbert swam closer to one of the floating creatures, slowly reaching out a hand and touching it. He jumped when his finger squished into it like it was made of slimy sponge.

"Jellyfish!" He exclaimed.

Alfred snapped his head to look at Gilbert, eyes wide. "Jellyfish!?"

Gilbert nodded, poking the jellyfish again. Its light convulsed with the touches, reacting to the German's array of jabbing. "Ja, Crystal jellyfish to be exact."

The young prince looked confused, frowning at the large collection of blobs. "What're they doing here? And… how come they aren't stinging us?"

Looking at Alfred over his shoulder, Gilbert smiled. "Crystal jellyfish don't sting. Plus since they glow like this, they live in the darker parts of the ocean with the Angler-People and crud."

Thinking of said fish-people, Alfred couldn't suppress a shudder. Angler-People lived in the darkest depths of the ocean, rarely did they venture up higher. Their mouth was always pulled into a grotesque smile, needle-like teeth jutting out from the top and bottom of their mouths. Their eyes were a solid black, perfect to blend in with the darkness. Their skin and tail however consisted of dark blues, a different set of blue markings appearing on each fish. Their hair was made out of loose fins, most of the time they were short and curled around the neck.

Their fingers were long and hooked with sharp claws while their scales were sharp and jagged. For females, their light protruded from their foreheads, the longer the stem the better. For males it came out the back of their neck and was usually long. The females found no need to cover up their chest, their body completely covered in scales. There was simply nothing left to cover up. Much wasn't known about them though, only that they were solitary creatures.

Wonder what they'd look like on land. Alfred mused slightly.

"This is pretty awesome!" Gilbert exclaimed. He had woven past the jungle of jellyfish and further towards the back, seeing if there was an end. He came back, his eyes twinkling in excitement. "There's just no end to them!"

"Really? There are that many?" Alfred's eyes widened considerably.

Gilbert nodded, opening his mouth to say something when he suddenly stopped. There was that scratching sound, but this time it sounded directly above them.

"W-what is that?" Alfred whispered to the other.

The jellyfish light seemed to grow brighter, each one blinking off then back on almost as if in warning.

Gilbert looked around at all of the blinking jellies, his eyes narrowed. "Something up there doesn't like the light… That's probably why there were no markings…" He mumbled to himself. Looking at Alfred, Gilbert decided quickly. "You stay here."

"Wha– Why!?" Alfred exclaimed in confusion.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Gilbert frowned. "Whatever's up there can only see in the dark and you can only see in the light. You'll be a sitting duck. I'm not gonna risk you getting your tail torn from your body just for a stupid hunt."

Alfred pouted, "It's not stupid."

The albino hesitated before swimming closer to Alfred. He cupped his cheeks, kissing him lightly. "It's stupid if it gets you hurt."

He then turned and swam up the stairs, leaving Alfred alone in the defining silence. He blinked, a little stunned at Gilbert's words. Shaking himself out of his little trance, Alfred broke out into a wide grin.

"Like I'm going to leave you alone after you tell me that!" He then turned and swam after the white shark, stopping when he was out in the hall. It was completely dark and he couldn't see anything. Biting his bottom lip, Alfred closed his eyes and waited for them to get adjusted once more.

This time he was able to see distinct shapes and a little bit of the details, but not a lot. He nodded, looking for any signs that showed where the albino had gone. Grimacing, Alfred noted the claw marks along the roof and floorboards leading down the hall opposite of where Gilbert and Alfred had come from. He grimaced slightly, pulling out his dagger and arming himself.

"Let's do it…" He swam forward, not hearing anything ahead of him. How far was Gilbert? Was he okay?

Suddenly, Alfred heard the sound of something slamming into the wall and the sound of things getting knocked over. There was a cry, Alfred instantly recognizing it as Gilbert. He shot off down the hall and around the corner, stopping at the sight before him.

There was a grotesque fish nearly half the size of Gilbert. It had a low hanging jaw with needle-like teeth sticking out in every direction. Its eyes were grey and soulless, sending shivers up and down Alfred's spine. The fish had barbs jutting out of its rough and mutated body, old arrows and spear heads sticking out of it. The creature had a row of long barbs on its side and underbelly, the sharp points scratching into the ground. The fish was currently trying to snap its jaws at Gilbert, the albino on the floor using his tail to push a wooden nightstand into its mouth.

"Gilbert!" Alfred cried, an intense protective surge coursing through his body.

"A-Alfred!?"Gilbert turned to look at the prince, shocked that he had followed.

The creature bit down on the wood, causing it to crack and creak. It soon broke in half, splinters shattering everywhere.

"Shit!" Gilbert gasped.

Alfred quickly noted that Gilbert's blade had been knocked away from the albino. It was now closer to Alfred and just waiting to be used. When the wood snapped, Alfred's adrenaline picked up and he dived at the blade. Snatching it up, Alfred slammed into the side of the large fish, ignoring how some of the barbs cut his skin. He then twisted the blade up and jammed it under the scales of the fish right under its gills.

The fish let out a shuddered shriek, turning to face Alfred and try to bite at him. Alfred used his smaller blade and stabbed it in one of the fish's eyes. It screamed once more, moving backwards and away from the two fish-people. Gilbert shot past Alfred and grabbed the blade lodged in the fish's neck, yanking it out and instead swimming over the top of the fish and holding his arms over his head. With a mighty battle cry, he slammed the blade down right where the fish's spine should be. It convulsed violently before it suddenly stopped moving, the creature going limp and sinking to the bottom of the ship.

Both males were breathing hard, each having their own sets of cuts and forming bruises. Gilbert dislodged his blade after he regained his breath, pulling out Alfred's too. He grimaced, shaking his head and swimming back over to the other.

"Let's not bring this back. Who knows how toxic it is. I'd rather not risk it by eating the thing." He sheathed Alfred's weapon for him, doing the same for his own blade.

Alfred, not really caring about the fish, took Gilbert's face between his hands. "Are you okay?"

Blinking in surprise, Gilbert raised a brow and grinned. "Of course I'm okay! I'm too awesome to get hurt!"

"Gilbert." Alfred frowned, not in the mood for games.

Gilbert rolled his eyes, "Yes I'm fine. See? Right here, no extreme damages other than some small cuts. The water will heal them in no time. You saved me at just the right moment, don't worry." He offered a small smile, reaching up to pat Alfred's cheek.

Alfred grasped Gilbert's hand, kissing the palm of it once again before leaning in and resting his head against Gilbert's. "You should have been more careful. What if I hadn't gotten here in time?"

The albino snorted, his eyes drifting closed. "Don't be such a drama squid."

Alfred chuckled, he too closing his eyes. They stayed like that for a while longer before Alfred suddenly yawned. Both looked at each other, Alfred blushing darkly.

"Way to kill the mood." Gilbert grinned and they both burst out laughing. Gilbert leaned up and kissed Alfred gently. "Come on you dork, let's go back to the beach and sleep. I'm ready to fall asleep."

The trip back to the beach was a quiet one. Gilbert held onto Alfred's hand as they swam, both males occasionally bumping tails as they moved. Neither said anything, nothing needed to be said. Instead of sleeping in the water however, Gilbert decided they should sleep on the sandy beach. Alfred was in charge of depositing their weapons away while Gilbert pulled himself onto the sand and dried off. He then got a fire going so they wouldn't freeze. Gilbert also went to his secret stash and pulled out a warm, large quilt. Instead of wearing clothes, he simply stayed nude and laid sat on the sand.

Alfred crawled up a few minutes later, water dripping off of him in an alluring way. Gilbert chuckled, holding his hand out for the other. The young prince pulled closer, stopping just short of Gilbert's hand.

"You gonna let me in there with you?" He grinned, a single brow raised.

"Get dry first and maybe I'll think about it." Gilbert snickered.

It only took a few more minutes for Alfred's tail to dry, the scales fading and the single limb splitting into two. He then scooted over to Gilbert and parted the blanket. He tried not to look at Gilbert's smooth, pale skin and the way it glowed in the fire. There would be time for staring, now wasn't one of them. When he had Gilbert underneath him; only then would he look.

Gilbert grunted at the coldness clinging to Alfred. He adjusted the blanket before snuggling closer to Alfred, enjoying the warmth that spread between the two of them. Biting his bottom lip, Alfred tried hard not to turn and push Gilbert down. The feel of his skin brushing against Alfred was too tempting. It was becoming a great tire for the young prince. He wondered if Gilbert felt the same way at all. Was he holding himself back too?

As if to answer his question, Gilbert turned his head so it was nudging Alfred's shoulder. "Come on. Let's sleep already. I'm freaking tired."

Alfred chuckled, shifting so he could lie down with the other. Gilbert, instead of putting space between them, settled next to Alfred and cuddled closer to his chest. He sighed in content and Alfred couldn't help but stare down at him in surprise. After a second of hesitation, Alfred wrapped his arms around Gilbert and pulled him closer, tangling their legs together. Looking at the albino's face, he'd like to say the red on his cheeks was from a blush, not the fire.

"Night Gilbert." He whispered, his heartbeat picking up the pace.

Glancing up at Alfred, he leaned up and gave a light peck to his lips. "Good night Alfred… See you in the morning."

With that he lowered his head on Alfred's chest and closed his eyes. Swallowing the suddenly nervous lump in his throat, Alfred realized what the morning would hold. His long awaited mating session with Gilbert. The day he finally stakes his claim on the white shark. After weeks of trying, he finally was going to mate with him. Alfred spent a while thinking about what was to come. He'd have to show his dominance. But what was he supposed to do? Was he supposed to wait till Gilbert woke up? Was he supposed to wait a few minutes?

No, He shook his head and frowned. They said it had to be right after. No time for hesitation. I have to do it the moment Gilbert wakes up.

With his mind set, Alfred hugged Gilbert closer to him. He then screwed his eyes shut and took in a deep breath. He needed to go to sleep. Strength was something he was going to need tomorrow. With a kiss to the top of the white mop of hair, he relaxed his body and let sleep take him.

* * *

Alfred scrunched up his nose, the sunlight beating through his eyelids relentlessly. Squinting lightly, Alfred took note that the pressure in his arms was letting out a soft growl. He could also feel what appeared to be teeth grazing against his collar bone. It was quite a nice feeling, but there was suddenly an annoyed growl and a sharp bite to his skin. Not hard enough to puncture, but still hard enough to bother. Alfred yelped, reaching out to grab the creature's shoulders. He slammed the other on its back, towering over it.

His eyes widened slightly as he looked down at a red-faced Gilbert. The shark's eyes were half lidded, his breath coming in soft pants. His bottom lip quivered slightly and he grit his teeth, letting out another growl. Alfred swallowed, his mind thinking quickly and knowing just what he had to do.

Lunging down, Alfred claimed Gilbert's lips for his own. The red-eyed shark moaned against him, giving up the fight for domination and just letting Alfred lead. The young prince allowed his hands to slide down Gilbert's arms and to his sides. There he groped Gilbert's skin, hands moving back up to play with his chest. Gilbert arched up into the touch, gasping.

Alfred moved down to Gilbert's neck, sucking on the skin that used to be gills. That made the albino cry out, wrapping his arms around Alfred's neck. His legs reached up and locked around Alfred's hips. With a quick buck, Gilbert rutted his hardening length against Alfred. The young prince let out a low groan at the sensation, biting his bottom lip. He leaned back to look Gilbert in the face. His cheeks were still cherry-red, even his ears sharing the color. He was growling lightly, though it sounded more playful than menacing. Alfred found the aroused-looking shark was simply breath-taking.

"Quit staring and hurry it up!" Gilbert moved so he could latch his lips onto Alfred's shoulder. There he sucked on the skin and gave small nips to it, marking up the tanned skin.

Alfred, snapping out of his stupor, smirked. "If I'm going to do this, I want to do it right." His voice was breathy, the way it sounded sent pleasant shivers down Gilbert's spine.

The young prince let his hands slide down Gilbert's body and stopped at his thighs. There he squeezed the pale skin and attacked at Gilbert's sensitive neck once again. The shark moaned, dragging his claws down Alfred's back. He winced slightly, that was definitely going to draw blood. However, he ignored that and instead slipped his hands to Gilbert's inner thighs.

He moved his hands closer to Gilbert's aching member, brushing his fingers against it in a teasing manner. Gilbert, though he'd probably deny it when he was thinking straight, let out a pitiful whine at the lack of contact. He tried to move his hips to rut against Alfred and give himself the much needed delicious friction, but Alfred refused to let that happen. He let out a small growl, holding Gilbert's hips down.

This was the moment he needed to show his dominance. The sharks had told him he needed to prove he wasn't a weakling. This was an important step. Alfred held Gilbert in place, grinning down at him. Leaning over, he licked Gilbert's lips and waited for the albino to grant him access. Red eyes narrowed and Gilbert gave an annoyed growl, turning his head in stubborn refusal. Rolling his eyes, Alfred sighed through his nose. They said he wouldn't go along with it so easily.

A sly smile spread across Alfred's face and he hummed in delight, moving one of his hands to trail the tips of his fingers across Gilbert's length. This caused the albino to take in a sudden gulp of air, his attention instantly snapping to Alfred. In a quick movement, Alfred wrapped his entire hand around Gilbert's cock and gave a light squeeze. Gilbert yelped and Alfred quickly claimed his lips, delving his tongue in to the velvety warmth.

The moan of delight he received only spurred Alfred on. He trailed his thumb over the head and slit of Gilbert's cock, going teasingly slow. This produced an impatient whine, Gilbert once again bucking his hips in seek of friction. As much as Alfred wanted to drag this out and shower the white-haired male in pleasure, the glare he was receiving told Alfred that if he dragged it out any longer Gilbert wouldn't be too happy. If Alfred thought about it, once he and Gilbert were mates he'd have every opportunity to indulge in such slow pleasure.

No longer intent on teasing the shark, Alfred moved his hand slicked with precum towards Gilbert's puckered entrance. He let his finger graze over it lightly, the shark beneath him shivering with anticipation. He slowly pushed the finger past the tight ring of muscles, going on instinct. He had no clue how humans mated, but Gilbert hadn't scolded him yet so he must have been doing something right. With that thought adding to his confidence, Alfred continued pushing his finger in until he heard a grunt of discomfort from Gilbert.

"You okay?" Alfred asked, his voice laced with desire.

Gilbert nodded, his eyes screwed shut. "Ja, y-you can keep going. I just find it a little… uncomfortable…"

Alfred nodded and drew his finger out slowly before pushing it back it. He continued in his small thrusts before he decided to add a second digit. This time Gilbert hissed softly, the male gritting his teeth.

When Alfred paused, Gilbert glared at him and dug his claws into Alfred's back. The prince jumped slightly, letting out a small yelp. "Don't stop, just keep doing that and I'll get used to it!" He snapped angrily.

"Okay, okay I got it!" Alfred used his other hand to rub soothing circles into Gilbert's thigh.

Slowly the pressure on Alfred's back lessened and the shark lowered himself onto the blanket that somehow managed to get tucked underneath them. Gilbert began taking deep breaths as Alfred worked his entrance. Soon there was three fingers and the blue-eyed male was completely captivated by the moaning German underneath him. Gilbert had his head tilted back, low, pleasure-filled groans slipping through his pink lips and out into the crisp morning air. He was gripping the blanket with his hands, his body shivering and slick with sweat. Alfred bent his head to lap at Gilbert's chest, adding more marks on the snowy-white skin.

When Gilbert finally began to push back against Alfred's fingers, seeking more than the three digits, Alfred drew them out. Gilbert let out a soft whine at the loss, but he was soon alert at the feel of something much bigger at his entrance. He looked at Alfred, the prince stared back. His blue eyes were filled with undeniable lust and hunger. Swallowing down any protests, Gilbert bit his bottom lip. He wrapped his arms around Alfred's neck and pulled him close.

"I'll kill you if it hurts." He threatened.

Alfred chuckled, "Let's hope it doesn't."

Pushing himself into Gilbert was a heavenly feeling. The warmth that enveloped him was worth the wait. As Gilbert tried to bite Alfred's shoulder in retaliation to the stinging of being penetrated, he was quickly directed to Alfred's mouth. There their tongues battled, Alfred's playing with Gilbert's. Taking it slowly was proving to be a rather torturous thing for Alfred. It a great spur of courage, he bucked his hips and completely buried himself in Gilbert.

The albino tossed his head back and screamed. After a few shuddering gasps and some apologetic kisses from Alfred, Gilbert finally caught his breath. He grabbed Alfred's hair and gave an annoyed tug, his eyes narrowed and some tears collected at the corner of his eyes.

"You brat! That hurt! I told you not to make it hurt!" He growled.

"Sorry, I just couldn't help myself." He chuckled lightly, wincing.

Gilbert growled, "Liar! You're not sorry one bit!"

Alfred's smile quickly fell and he suddenly looked serious. Gilbert, not quite used to a serious Alfred, watched in shocked silence as the Merman raised a hand to brush against Gilbert's blushing cheek.

"You're right. I'm not."

Gilbert's eyes widened when Alfred pulled out till only the tip was in before he slammed back into Gilbert. Tossing his head back in a silent scream, Alfred continued in his rather rough penetration of Gilbert. Only after a few deep thrusts into that sweet head did he finally slow down to a rhythmic pace. Alfred kissed Gilbert's temple, rocking his hips into Gilbert and searching for that sweet spot. The moment Gilbert let out a sudden mewl of pleasure, Alfred grinned and angled his hips so he would continuously ram into it.

"A-Alfred… Oh Poseidon…!" Gilbert cried out wantonly, pulling Alfred's head down to kiss and nibble on his neck.

While he trusted into Gilbert from behind, Alfred reached towards the albino's throbbing member and began stroking his length. Any moan that slipped from Gilbert's mouth was quickly swallowed up by Alfred as he began another passionate make-out session. With a nip here and there from Gilbert, Alfred would groan against the other's lips.

"Damn… Gil…" Alfred whispered, followed by a powerful thrust that made the leaner male moan.

"A-Al!" Gilbert suddenly gasped. He tangled his fingers through Alfred's hair and whimpered slightly. "I'm gonna–!"

Alfred kissed Gilbert's cheek, nuzzling into it and breathing in the other's salty ocean scent. "Go ahead sweetheart." He whispered against the white-haired male's skin.

With a playful squeeze to Gilbert's leaking cock followed by the abuse of Gilbert's prostate, it didn't take long for Gilbert to come with a cry. Alfred thrusted into the albino a few more times before he buried himself deep into Gilbert and came with a shudder. He barely caught himself in time so he wouldn't land on Gilbert. Instead he slowly pulled himself out of Gilbert and flopped down beside him, the two battling to catch their breath.

"That… was…" Alfred gasped, grinning happily. "Wow…"

Gilbert nodded, his breathing beginning to even out. "Yeah. Wow."

The albino turned on his side and shifted so he could snuggle closer to Alfred. Looking down at him, Alfred could feel the change between them. It was like a sudden click in his mentality, he was bonded with Gilbert. They were mates. They were one...


End file.
